Department of Health and Social Care

Loneliness: Social Prescribing

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on the commitment made in the loneliness strategy to launch an online social prescribing platform for commissioners and practitioners.

Jo Churchill: NHS England has launched the online social prescribing platform for commissioners and practitioners which includes templates, resources and facilitates regional communities of practice. Further information can be found at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/social-prescribing/

Loneliness: Social Prescribing

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on the commitment made in the loneliness strategy to pilot accredited learning programmes for social prescribing link workers.

Jo Churchill: Accredited learning programmes for social prescribing link workers have been developed and are now being delivered by Connexus Healthcare. Further information can be found at the following link:https://conexus-healthcare.org/social-prescribing-qualification-training/After a successful six-month pilot course – the only one of its kind in the United Kingdom – Connexus and its partners have trained the country’s very first group of qualified social prescribers. Plans are now underway to unveil the next cohort of social prescribing courses and qualifications in autumn 2019.

Loneliness: Social Prescribing

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on the commitment in the loneliness strategy to undertake work to assess how a variety of organisations and services currently refer individuals into social prescribing schemes and local provision.

Jo Churchill: The Government’s Loneliness Strategy ‘A connected society: A Strategy for tackling loneliness – laying the foundations for change,’ acknowledged that tackling loneliness is complex and a long-term challenge, requiring action across many fronts and working with local government, public services, the voluntary and community sector and businesses to identify opportunities to tackle loneliness and build more integrated communities.Discussions are underway with a range of public sector organisations such as job centres, local authorities, Public Health England and National Health Service agencies to identify what more can be done to improve how they better refer into social prescribing services and provision.In addition, social workers play a key role in referring people into community services and the co-chair of the Principal Social Worker network sits on the National Social Prescribing network to promote their work and share learning.The Department expects to report on the outcome of this commitment in late autumn.

Essential Tremor: Ultrasonics

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what representations his Department has received following recommendations from NICE on NHS England adopting a commissioning policy for MR-guided focused ultrasound for essential tremor; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage: In June 2018, the National Institute for Heath and Care Excellence (NICE) developed interventional procedure guidance on ‘Unilateral MRI-guided focused ultrasound thalamotomy for treatment-resistant essential tremor’. NICE’s interventional procedures guidance looks at whether procedures are safe enough and work well enough for wider use in the National Health Service.Due to limited evidence on efficacy, NICE’s guidance recommends that this procedure should not be used unless there are special arrangements for clinical governance, consent and audit or research.A search of the Department’s Ministerial correspondence database from 1 January 2017 to 25 July 2019 has identified four items of correspondence received on the MR-guided focused ultrasound for essential tremor. This figure represents correspondence received by the Department’s Ministerial correspondence unit only.

Essential Tremor: Ultrasonics

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made by his Department's agencies and public bodies of the potential clinical benefits of MR-guided focused ultrasound as a treatment for essential tremor; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made by his Department's agencies and public bodies of the potential value for money of MR-guided focused ultrasound as a treatment for essential tremor; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who would potentially benefit from MR-guided focused ultrasound as a treatment for essential tremor each year; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will provide interim funding for NHS patients to access MR-guided focused ultrasound as a treatment for essential tremor at St Mary’s Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare Trust; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has reviewed Magnetic Resonance Imaging-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) as a treatment for essential tremor and published Interventional Procedure (IP) guidance on this treatment in June 2018. This concluded that the evidence on the safety of unilateral MRI-guided focused ultrasound thalamotomy for treatment-resistant essential tremor raises no major safety concerns. However, current evidence on its efficacy is limited in quantity. Therefore, this procedure should not be used unless there are special arrangements for clinical governance, consent, and audit or research. NHS England is in the early stages of developing a national clinical commissioning policy for MRgFUS for essential tremor. The policy will determine whether or not the intervention will or be routinely commissioned and include criteria to guide clinical decision-making about the patients who may be able to benefit. The development of a national clinical policy by NHS England is complex. This takes time, including proper consideration of the evidence and involvement of clinical experts. To ensure consistency and fairness, NHS England follows a standard three stage process. Full details can be found on the NHS England website at the following link: www.england.nhs.uk/publication/methods-national-clinical-policies/

Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital: Accident and Emergency Departments

Graham P Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of waiting times at A&E at the Royal Blackburn Hospital.

Chris Skidmore: NHS England publishes monthly performance data for accident and emergency (A&E) waiting times for each trust rather than individual hospital site level. Performance data for the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust can be found at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/East Lancashire Hospitals Trust A&E performanceJune 2019May 2019June 2018% seen in 4 hours or less81.4%78.4%85.6%Total attendances15,62116,18017,371Total attendances in 4 hours or less12,71412,68314,863 Source: NHS England Operational Statistics1Despite continued high numbers of attendees, performance shows, on average, more than four out of five attendees are seen/treated/admitted/discharged within four hours of arrival. This level of performance has been sustained throughout the months of May, June and July.The Trust is working hard to ensure robust plans are in place to achieve the A&E standard of 95% of patients admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours of arrival in all types of A&E departments.Note:1https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2019-20/

Preventive Medicine: Finance

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what resources his Department has allocated to raise awareness of his green paper and open consultation entitled Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s.

Jo Churchill: Specific spending commitments in the Green Paper will be met from existing budgets. We plan to promote the consultation through social media and stakeholder engagement.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to ensure breast cancer screening is a prioritised by the NHS.

Jo Churchill: Following the Independent Breast Screening Review, the Government has committed to making sure that the breast screening offer to women is clear, reflected in public-facing materials, and implemented consistently across all breast screening services, including in the policy and related programme guidance and training.The breast screening service specification 2019/20 will set out the national standards for every breast screening provider service for the whole of England. This service specification is based on recommendations from the UK National Screening Committee and reflect clinical advice from Public Health England. The standards are used in contracts that are held locally between NHS England regions and breast screening providers.Further, NHS England asked Professor Sir Mike Richards to lead a review of the current screening programmes, including breast cancer screening. The review will provide recommendations to improve uptake of screening, improve delivery, learn lessons from recent screening incidents, and modernise and expand diagnostic capacity. This review will report shortly.

Radiotherapy

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which public body is responsible for providing support to cancer patients to access radiotherapy when those people live long distances from radiotherapy centres.

Jo Churchill: It is possible for patients receiving radiotherapy treatment to get a grant towards travel expenses. People on low incomes may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through the Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment schemes.If a patient is referred to hospital or other National Health Service premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostic tests by a primary care professional, they may be able to claim a refund of reasonable travel costs under the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme. Information regarding who is eligible for a refund as part of this scheme can be found at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/help-with-health-costs/healthcare-travel-costs-scheme-htcs/

NHS: Negligence

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the next Serious Incident Framework.

Ms Nadine Dorries: NHS England and NHS Improvement published the NHS Patient Safety Strategy on 2 July. The Strategy committed to introducing the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) to replace the 2015 Serious Incident Framework and to improve the response to, and investigation of, incidents.Initial guidance will be introduced from autumn 2019 to support early adopters across several local systems and to explore the introduction of the new PSIRF and give insight into how the new expectations are best implemented.This information will then be used to support the subsequent national implementation of the PSIRF from autumn 2020.

Cancer

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce instances of (a) breast cancer among women and (b) prostate cancer.

Jo Churchill: In October 2018, the then Prime Minister announced a package of measures that will be rolled out across the country with the aim of seeing three quarters of all cancers detected at an early stage by 2028 (currently just over half). The plan will radically overhaul screening programmes, provide new investment in state of the art technology to transform the process of diagnosis, and boost research and innovation. This follows on from publication in 2015 of the independent Cancer Taskforce’s Cancer Strategy for England which set out a vision of what cancer patients should expect from the health service, including effective prevention.

Epilepsy: Cannabis

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending the use of medicinal cannabis to people living with CHD2 myoclonic encephalopathy.

Jo Churchill: An initial impact assessment ‘Rescheduling of cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPM) under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001’ was published alongside The Misuse of Drugs (Amendments) (Cannabis and Licence Fees) (England, Wales and Scotland) Regulations 2018. A copy of this impact assessment is available at the following link:http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/1055/impactsThis set out the approach that the Government proposed to take in assessing the costs and benefits of the change in the law at a population level, with regard to the rescheduling of CBPM. The analysis is limited to the five medical conditions where there is most evidence. These five conditions are multiple sclerosis – pain or muscle spasticity; chemotherapy -induced nausea and vomiting; severe treatment-resistant epilepsy in children - specifically Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome only; chronic pain in adults; and appetite and weight loss associated with HIV/AIDS.To further the evidence-base, the National Institute for Health Research has issued two calls for research in this area and is working with the industry and researchers to ensure that the evidence is developed in a way that will inform decisions on public funding. This research will be open to all good quality proposals covering any indication, including refractory epilepsies and other disorders unresponsive to existing treatments.

Speech and Language Therapy: Children and Young People

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to extend the pathway that Public Health England is developing for children aged 0-5 to children and young people aged 5-25 with speech, language and communication needs.

Caroline Dinenage: The Green Paper ‘Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s’ confirms our intention to modernise the Healthy Child Programme, extending the upper range to 24-year olds for those young adults needing extra support. The Government is now seeking views, including on what more can be done to help local authorities and National Health Service bodies work well together.

Heart Diseases: Surgery

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timeframe is for patent foraman ovale closure, for the prevention of recurrent cerebral embolic stroke in adults, to be available on the NHS.

Jo Churchill: On 17 July 2019, NHS England published its clinical commissioning policy for percutaneous patent foraman ovale closure for the prevention of recurrent cerebral embolic stroke in adults.The policy describes the pathway which must be followed and the criteria which must be met for a patient to be eligible for this procedure. NHS England will be working with identified hospitals to ensure referral pathways are developed and implemented to support equitable access to services.It can be accessed via the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/publication/percutaneous-patent-foraman-ovale-closure-for-the-prevention-of-recurrent-cerebral-embolic-stroke-in-adults-around-the-age-60-years-and-under

General Practitioners

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Primary Care Networks are being established; where those networks will be located; how many patients those networks will be responsible for; and what assessment he has made of the effect of those networks on the commissioning of bladder, bowel and continence care services.

Jo Churchill: Primary Care Networks (PCNs) are being developed to cover England. NHS England have reported that, as of 1 July 2019, 1,259 PCNs had been formed with 99.7% of all general practitioner (GP) practices being covered by a network. PCNs are networks of GP practices typically covering population footprints of 30-50,000 people.In England, it is the responsibility of National Health Service commissioners to make decisions on individual urinary continence care on the basis of the available evidence, taking into account guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and NHS England where available. In July 2018 NHS England published revised guidance for commissioners to support the development of high-quality continence services. NICE guidance is always evidence based, adhering to the latest clinical thinking and research to determine the best treatment for patients.

Incontinence: Health Services

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Primary Care Networks will have responsibility for the implementation of the NHS England Excellence in Continence Care guidelines.

Caroline Dinenage: In England, it is the responsibility of National Health Service commissioners to make decisions on individual urinary continence care on the basis of the available evidence, taking into account guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and NHS England where available.

General Practitioners

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Primary Care Networks will be allocated a (a) physiotherapist responsible for pelvic floor health, (b) social prescriber and (c) continence nurse.

Jo Churchill: In England, it is the responsibility of National Health Service commissioners to make decisions on individual urinary continence care on the basis of the available evidence, taking into account guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and NHS England where available.The new GP contract framework, published on 31 January 2019 set out plans for an ‘Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme’ in Primary Care Networks. This will provide guaranteed funding for up to an estimated 20,000 additional staff by 2023/24. The funding available will be phased and will meet a recurrent 70% of costs for additional clinical pharmacists, physician associates, physiotherapists and community paramedics; and 100% of the costs of additional social prescribing link workers.

Incontinence: Health Services

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made on the NHS England Excellence in Continence Care Board's work with the supply chain on the National Bladder and Bowel Health Project.

Caroline Dinenage: Chairs for each of the National Bladder and Bowel Health Project workstreams have been identified and invited to the Excellence in Continence Care Programme Board in September.Terms of reference for the project have also been completed.Expressions of interest for the Stakeholder forums have been sent out via the Excellence in Continence Care Programme Board contacts, Trade Association contacts and via “NHSSupplyChain” on Twitter.

Babies: Screening

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to expand NHS provision of screenings for new-born babies.

Jo Churchill: The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) welcomes proposals to screen for new conditions via its annual call for topics. The call runs from September to December and allows members of the public and stakeholders to submit new conditions for the UK NSC to consider and assess it against its internationally recognised criteria. It is important that the addition of any new conditions to the newborn blood spot programme, or any population screening programme, is supported by robust peer-reviewed evidence.Information about the annual call for topic can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-nsc-evidence-review-process

Nurses: Training

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the removal of student bursaries on differences in trends of the number of (a) students, (b) mature students and (c) part-time students on nursing courses in England.

Jo Churchill: In August 2017, the Government changed the funding system for pre-registration nurse training in England. New nursing, midwifery and allied health profession students studying in England moved from National Health Service bursaries to the standard student support system. The intention of the reforms is to boost participation, secure the future supply of home-grown nurses to the NHS, and enable universities to create additional nurse training places.The standard student support system means that a typical student nurse has 25% more money to live on while they are studying than under the bursary system (albeit in the form of a student loan rather than a grant).The interim People Plan published on 3 June 2019 sets out some of the steps needed to ensure the NHS in England have the staff they need to deliver high quality care, including growing our nursing workforce by 40,000 in the next five years.The most recent data available from UCAS covers the B7 group of courses (nursing and midwifery courses aggregated together) rather than nursing. It is the latest position on the number of acceptances to nursing and midwifery courses as of 30 August 2019. Data for 2019 and the equivalent time point in previous years is shown in the following table. Acceptances to nursing and midwifery courses two weeks after the start of clearing. All applicants to English providers.Academic yearNursing and midwifery2015/162016/172017/182018/192019/20Acceptances 2 weeks after A-level results day20,30021,49020,18019,35020,190 Source: UCAS clearing analysis. Nursing specific data, up to and including the 2018 end of cycle is shown in the following table. This data will be updated in December 2018.The number of students over the last five years who accepted a place to study nursing at university is shown in the following table.The Department does not hold data on part-time student trends.Acceptances to nursing courses at English providers over the last five yearsAcademic yearNursing course acceptances2014/152015/162016/172017/182018/19All acceptances19,02519,30520,41519,51519,035Acceptances from those aged 20+13,03013,23014,06512,84512,430Source: UCAS end of cycle data, 2018Note:- The 2016/17 academic year was the final year students starting a degree in nursing were eligible for the bursary.- Students aged 21+ are classified as mature students for university funding purposes. The closest category in the UCAS end of cycle data was for those aged 20+.- Nursing courses include adult, children’s, dual, learning disability, and mental health nursing.

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to improve patient accessibility to medical cannabis.

Jo Churchill: The law was changed on 1 November 2018 to allow clinicians on the General Medical Council’s ‘Specialist Register’ to prescribe cannabis-based products for medicinal use, where clinically appropriate and in the best interest of patients. To support clinicians and develop the evidence base, the following action has been taken:- Interim clinical guidance has been issued by the Royal College of Physicians, the British Paediatric Neurology Association and the Association of British Neurologists to support doctors looking to prescribe cannabis-based products;- The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has been commissioned to develop updated clinical guidance on the prescribing of cannabis-based medicinal products, which will be published by October 2019. It will be based on the best available international evidence and will have been produced using NICE’s world-renowned process for delivering such guidance;- Health Education England has been commissioned to develop a training package for health professionals to support their understanding of these products and their potential as medicines; and- The National Institute for Health Research has issued two calls for research, to move forward the evidence base. In the meantime, NHS England and NHS Improvement have undertaken a review and will advise Ministers on any barriers to clinically appropriate prescribing. This will help to support implementation of this policy and ensure that the demands of those patients that want to try medicinal cannabis are balanced against other demands on NHS funding, and that patients and clinicians are provided with the best information on which to decide, together, on treatment options that are most likely to provide benefit. These may include unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use, but may also include consideration of licensed medicines, and other novel products and treatments that are currently going through clinical trials.

Asthma: Health Services

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2019 to Question 257660 on Asthma: Health Services, what steps he is taking to ensure that severe asthma services are located within a reasonable travel distance for as large a number of patients as possible.

Caroline Dinenage: There are 14 severe asthma centres in England. To ensure patients have access to the right services within a reasonable distance, severe asthma collaborative networks are being established. This is part of the NHS England Specialised Commissioning team’s severe asthma collaborative project to improve severe asthma care within localities. The project aims to improve patient experience, outcomes and safety through improved access to specialist multidisciplinary teams for assessment and review. All specialised providers involved are required to develop a networked model of care as the vehicle for delivering an optimal pathway and maximising patient outcomes and experience. All specialised services also report against national quality metrics for severe asthma services on an annual basis.

Asthma: Health Services

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of avoidable asthma attacks.

Caroline Dinenage: As set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, pharmacists in primary care networks will undertake a range of medicine reviews for patients, including educating patients on the correct use of inhalers, and encouraging uptake of dry powder and smart inhalers where clinically appropriate.To enable people with respiratory disease to better self-manage their condition, the NHS Cardiovascular disease-Respiratory programme will develop and test flexible learning options for people with respiratory conditions. The British Lung Foundation will be a key partner in the development and testing of this programme.In addition, earlier this year the Government launched the Clean Air Strategy, which sets out plans for dealing with all sources of air pollution to save lives. To inform the public on expected short-term increases in air pollution levels, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs produces daily air pollution forecasts for five pollutants (nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone, and particles measured as PM10 and PM2.5) and communicates this to the public using the Daily Air Quality Index.

World Conference on Tobacco or Health

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to attend the next World Health Organization World Conference on Tobacco or Health in the Irish Republic.

Jo Churchill: As a global leader in tobacco control, the Department plans to send representatives to the 18th World Health Organization World Conference on Tobacco or Health in March 2021.

Mental Health Services: Hospital Beds

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on how many consultant-led NHS acute mental-health beds there were in each year since 2009.

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on how many consultant-led NHS working age adult acute mental-health beds there were in each year since 2009.

Ms Nadine Dorries: I refer the hon. Member to the Answer given by the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Jackie Doyle-Price MP) on 8 July 2019 to Question 270766.Information on whether consultant-led National Health Service acute mental health beds are specifically designated for working age adults is not held.

Compulsorily Detained Psychiatric Patients

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of working-age adult mental-health bed admissions took place under the Mental Health Act 1983 in each year since 2009.

Ms Nadine Dorries: I refer the hon. Member to the Answer given by the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Jackie Doyle-Price MP) on 8 July 2019 to Question 270778.

Mental Health Services: Hospital Beds

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average length of occupancy was of consultant-led NHS acute mental-health beds in each year since 2009.

Ms Nadine Dorries: I refer the hon. Member to the Answer given by the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Jackie Doyle-Price MP) on 8 July 2019 to Question 270767.

Rehabilitation Centres: North East

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many residential drugs treatment services have been made available for (a) men and (b) women in the North East in each of the last five years.

Jo Churchill: The number of residential drugs treatment services available for men and women in the North East is not collected centrally. Local authorities are responsible for assessing local substance misuse need, and commissioning services to meet that need, including rehabilitation services. Residential rehabilitation is usually purchased on a case-by-case basis by local authorities.

Lung Cancer: Radiotherapy

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care,  which clinical trials are currently being monitored by NHS England’s national specialised commissioning team to assess the evidence base for the use of Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy to treat early non-small cell lung cancer.

Jo Churchill: NHS England has routinely commissioned stereotactic ablative radiotherapy to treat early non-small cell lung cancer since 2013, meaning that the evidence to support its routine commissioning has already been established for patients that meet the eligibility criteria described in the clinical commissioning policy. NHS England has since reviewed the clinical evidence for later stage non-small cell lung cancer and all stages of small cell lung cancer and a second policy is in development.

Radiotherapy

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the potential savings accrued to the public purse of establishing a rolling replacement programme for radiotherapy machines.

Jo Churchill: No estimate has been made at this time.

NHS: Finance

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Long-Term Plan, what the (a) timeframe and (b) terms of reference are for the review of the national tariff.

Chris Skidmore: In its Long Term Plan, the National Health Service outlined eight potential areas for legislation, including one to increase flexibility in the NHS pricing regime.The NHS is now further developing their proposals, and outlined further thinking on this in an engagement document published on 28 February. This was followed by an engagement exercise with staff, the public and other stakeholders to gain their views on the proposals. We are working with them to explore options.The Government’s priority is to support the NHS to improve patient outcomes by delivering the Long Term Plan. The NHS is currently considering the responses to its engagement exercise, and the Government will consider legislative proposals where they will support the vision outlined in the Long Term Plan.

Pineal Cysts: Health Services

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to review the effectiveness of NHS (a) diagnoses and (b) treatment of pineal cysts.

Jo Churchill: No such plans have been made.

Pineal Cysts: Research

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding the Government is providing for research into the treatment of pineal cysts.

Caroline Dinenage: The Department funds health research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including pineal cysts. However, the NIHR has not recently conducted any research into this health area.It is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. In all disease areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity.

Pineal Cysts: Tomography

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to increase the availability of regular follow up MRI scans for people with pineal cysts.

Jo Churchill: No plans are currently in place.

Dental Services: Children

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) level and (b) quality of the provision of NHS dentistry services to children under the age of 12.

Jo Churchill: NHS England is responsible for commissioning primary care dental services to meet the needs of the local population and ensuring where there are shortages these are addressed.Latest data from the GP Patient Survey shows that seven million children were seen by a dentist in the 12 month period ending 31 December 2018.NHS England has developed two initiatives that are directly targeting children’s oral health. The Starting Well programme was established by NHS England to reach out to children not regularly being seen by a dentist in 13 high needs areas. NHS England has advised that here are currently over 200 practices participating in the programme.

NHS: Pensions

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many senior staff left the NHS pension scheme in (a) 2015, (b) 2016, (c) 2017, (d) 2018 and (e) 2019; and how people leaving the scheme affects other members of the scheme.

Chris Skidmore: The NHS Pension Scheme records opt-out data based on staff occupation, for example, doctors or nurses, rather than seniority. It is not possible to identify ‘senior staff’ within the available data.The following table presents scheme opt-out data provided by the NHS Business Services Authority, who administer the NHS Pension Scheme for England and Wales. Scheme yearNumber of active members electing to opt-out from scheme membership2014-1539,8052015-1635,5382016-1747,9432017-1844,890*2018-1943,309*Note: *Figures for years 2017-18 and 2018-19 are provisional.Over the five-year period ending 31 March 2019, there was a total of 211,485 opt-out elections recorded. Due to auto-enrolment legislation the data will include a member who has opted-out twice within the five years.Where a member elects to opt-out, it has no direct effect on the benefit entitlements of other members.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for children and young people's mental health services.

Ms Nadine Dorries: We have introduced two waiting time standards for children and young people with particular conditions and the National Health Service is on track to meet both of these. The first aims for 95% of children (up to 19 years old) with eating disorders to receive treatment within a week for urgent cases and four weeks for routine cases. 80.6% of children and young people’s eating disorder patients started urgent treatment within one week and 82.4% of patients started routine treatment within four weeks in the period January – March 2019. The second aims for 50% of patients of all ages experiencing a first episode of psychosis to receive treatment within two weeks of referral. Nationally, the National Health Service is exceeding the target with 76.7% of patients starting treatment within two weeks in May 2019. As set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England is piloting four week waiting times in 12 areas across the country to establish how to achieve a four week waiting time for all children and young people’s community mental health services. Under the Plan, NHS England will also ensure that specific waiting times targets for emergency mental health services for all, including children and young people, will take effect from 2020.

Orkambi

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timescale is for NICE to make a decision on Orkambi.

Jo Churchill: In July 2016 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published guidance on Orkambi for treating cystic fibrosis in people 12 years and older who are homozygous for the F508del mutation. This guidance is scheduled for review this year (2019). If NICE updates the existing recommendations, and the company participates, updated guidance for these patients is expected late 2020/early 2021.In March 2019, NICE received Ministerial referral to appraise Orkambi in people aged between 2 and 11 years old who are homozygous for the F508del mutation. NICE is in the process of inviting the company and other stakeholders to participate in this appraisal. If the company participates, NICE expects to be able to come to a decision on the use of Orkambi for this group of children in the autumn of 2020.The Secretary of State for Health wrote to Vertex in August offering a further meeting again with Vertex, as soon as possible, to consider what the barriers are to an agreement and how the situation can be resolved. We continue to urge Vertex to accept NHS England’s generous offer. In the absence of an agreement NHS England and Improvement continue to explore other options.

Health Services: Weather

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the tenth special report of the Environmental Audit Committee, published on 24 October 2018 on Heatwaves: adapting to climate change: Government Response to the Committee's ninth report, HC 826, what plans he has in place to introduce a new single adverse weather and health plan and associated resources.

Jo Churchill: Work to develop and introduce the Single Adverse Weather and Health Plan (SAWHP), and associated resources, is underway in line with the 2022 deadline set under the Second National Adaptation Programme (2018-2023).Since October 2018, systematic literature reviews to update the evidence base have begun and behavioural insight research has been commissioned to support the development of effective and tailored public messages. Stakeholder workshops are set to be delivered across the country to ensure the SAWHP and its resources are developed in collaboration with end users. Public Health England and the Met Office are working together on the development of a year-round heat and cold alerting system, currently expected later this year.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2019 to Question 268402, if she will place in the Library a copy of the dataset from which the median balance per debtor was calculated.

Will Quince: A copy of the relevant dataset* will be placed in the Library. In order to comply with the General Data Protection Regulations 2018, the dataset contains values only. The data set shows all balances held on our systems for the relevant period. It includes ‘minus’ figures, which reflect changes made as a result of successful appeals. The data does not include any Universal Credit overpayments. It includes debts accrued in a number of ways including Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit overpayments built up under HMRC as well as fraud and error overpayments. Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit were introduced in 2003, with some people then accruing debts over many years. We do not want people to face undue financial hardship as a result of repaying overpayments. If people do struggle, adjustments can be made and will be based on an individual’s circumstance. The overall maximum amount that can be deducted from a claimant’s Universal Credit each month to recover a benefit overpayment is an amount equal to 40% of their Universal Credit standard allowance. The vast majority of benefit payments are made correctly; this stock of debts equates to around 0.6% of current annual welfare expenditure. The legacy welfare system is complex in its structure and administration and in the way that qualifying conditions interact with each other. UC provides a single system of means-tested support for working-age households who are in or out of work and we expect this to reduce overpayments.  *The data provided has been sourced from internal management information and was not intended for public release. It should therefore not be compared to any other, similar data subsequently released by the Department.

Universal Credit: Telephone Services

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) average and (b) longest response time was to answer universal credit freephone numbers; and how many complaints about telephone response times for those numbers have been made in the last six months for which figures are available.

Will Quince: Universal Credit is a 24 hour, seven days a week, digital service that allows claimants to manage their own data and account online at a time which is convenient for them. Via their account, claimants can check their Universal Credit benefit payments, notify us of changes and record notes via an online journal facility. In addition, established claimants who call the Freephone Universal Credit helpline are connected directly to the person or team who are dealing with the case. For June 2019 the average speed of answer for a call to the Universal Credit helpline was 2 minutes 39 seconds. The longest response time was 55 minutes 33 seconds. In June we answered 1.2 million calls. The longest response time refers to a single caller and is not reflective of the experience of the majority of our customers. The average speed of answer measure is the average customer wait time from the point of entering a queue to connection to an agent. This excludes any time spent in pre-queue messaging and any wait time for calls ultimately abandoned by callers prior to answer. The information requested about telephony complaints is not available in the format requested and doing so could only be provided at disproportionate cost. We do not capture data specifically on complaints about response times for answering the Universal Credit helpline.

Universal Credit

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to start the universal credit managed migration pilot.

Will Quince: The Department commenced the Move to Universal Credit pilot in the area served by Harrogate Jobcentre on 24 July 2019. Following the pilot, we will report back to Parliament on our progress and findings, and at that point, will determine the process for bringing forward further legislation to move claimants beyond the pilot phase. The regulations also allowed for people potentially eligible for Severe Disability Premium transitional awards to start receiving payments. Statistics published on 2 September 2019 show over 6,300 claims worth over £16 million have been paid. The Secretary of State delivered an Oral Statement to the House on 22 July 2019 to announce the commencement of the Universal Credit managed migration pilot (also known as the Move to Universal Credit pilot), which can be viewed here - https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2019-07-22/debates/8111667B-E194-41D6-9496-FE1E870225E6/UniversalCreditManagedMigration

Social Security Benefits

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of reports that people who are paid on the last day of the month are incorrectly showing on the HMRC database as having been paid on the first working day of the month on the ability of her Department to correctly assess an individual’s entitlement to benefits; and if she will make a statement.

Will Quince: Universal Credit takes earnings into account in a way that is fair and transparent. The amount of Universal Credit paid reflects, as closely as possible, the actual circumstances of a household during each monthly assessment period, including any earnings reported by the employer during the assessment period, regardless of when they were paid, or which month they relate to.Assessment periods allow for Universal Credit awards to be adjusted on a monthly basis, ensuring that if claimants’ incomes fall, they do not have to wait several months for a rise in their Universal Credit award.Claimants can discuss queries about how fluctuating income effects Universal Credit with their case managers and work coaches, who can also signpost to services appropriate to individual circumstances.The Department has been working closely with HMRC since Universal Credit went live to support and inform employers who report earnings to emphasise the importance of timely reporting via the Real Time Information (RTI) system.HMRC have updated their guidance to reiterate to employers the importance of reporting accurate dates and the impact on payment cycles; the Financial Secretary to the Treasury is also working closely with HMRC and employers to do this.

Universal Credit

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the proportion of universal credit claimants that have had a deduction as a result of arrears to their (a) first, (b) second, (c) third, (d) fourth, (e) fifth and (f) sixth universal credit payment in the most recent period for which data is available.

Will Quince: The maximum rate of deductions cannot normally exceed 40 per cent of the Universal Credit standard allowance and does not reduce other components of an award, such as money paid for children, housing or when someone is caring for a severely disabled person. From October 2019 this will be reduced to 30 per cent and from October 2021 we are increasing the maximum recovery period for advances from 12 to 16 months. However, the Government recognises the importance of safeguarding the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt, so last resort deductions can be applied to protect vulnerable claimants from eviction and/or having their fuel supply (gas/electricity) cut off, by providing a last resort repayment method for arrears of these essential services. In these cases, when it is considered to be in the best interests of the claimant and their family, deductions may be taken above the 40 per cent limit. If a claimant is in financial difficulty as a result of the level of deductions being made they can contact the Department to request that a reduction in deductions be considered The table below gives the proportion of claims in the first to sixth assessment periods, for which a deduction was taken relating to arrears in February 2019, the latest month which data is available for.     Assessment Period% with arrears deductions11.7%23.1%34.3%45.1%56.1%66.7% Notes1. Figures relate to Universal Credit full service.2. Figures are rounded to the nearest per cent.3. Figures included arrears for gas, electric, water, rent and service charges4. We would expect to see overall amount increasing as the caseload and number of claims with deductions increase, but the average over that time also decreases.

Universal Credit: Greater London

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2019 to Question 224493, how much has been deducted from universal credit claimants' standard allowance in (a) the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and (b) Poplar and Limehouse constituency in each month since April 2017.

Will Quince: The attached table shows the amount deducted from Universal Credit claims in (a) the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and (b) the Poplar and Limehouse parliamentary constituency in each month since April 2017 to May 2019, which is the latest month that data is available for.



280902 data
(Excel SpreadSheet, 11.2 KB)

Pension Credit: Sutton

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many residents in the London Borough of Sutton are aged 75 or over; and what proportion of those people are (a) eligible for and (b) claiming pension credit.

Guy Opperman: Latest published information shows that in 2018, there were 14,502 residents in the London Borough of Sutton aged 75 or over. This information is published and available at NOMIS: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk Of this, 14% (2,084) claim Pension Credit. This information is published and available at Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk Guidance for users is available at: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html The information requested on the proportion of those living in the London Borough of Sutton aged 75 or over and are eligible for pension credit is not available. Official statistics on the take-up on income-related benefits at Great Britain level, which has estimated figures for recipients and entitled non-recipients, including Pension Credit, can be found in the ‘Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up in 2016 to 2017’ publication. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up-financial-year-2016-to-2017

Child Maintenance Service

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much her Department has collected through the Child Maintenance Service's (a) four per cent and (b) twenty per cent collection fees under Collect and Pay in each of the last five years.

Mims Davies: Income received through the Child Maintenance Service collection charges from 2014/15 through to 2017/18 is as follows:   2014/152015/162016/172017/18  £m£m£m£mPP Collection Charge20%1.6495.57310.49416.878  RP Collection Charge4%0.3251.0862.0263.241  The 2018/19 Child Maintenance Service Annual Report and Accounts have not been audited yet so we are unable to include figures from this period in PQ responses.Income received is used to offset the administration cost of the Child Maintenance Group.

Child Maintenance Service

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much revenue her Department has collected through the Child Maintenance Service's £20 application fee in each of the last five years.

Mims Davies: Income received from the Child Maintenance Service £20 Application fee from 2014/15 through to 2017/18 is as follows: 2014/15 £0.828m2015/16 £1.692m2016/17 £1.799m2017/18 £1.520m The 2018/19 Child Maintenance Service Annual Report and Accounts have not been audited yet so we are unable to include figures from this period in PQ responses.Income received is used to offset the administration cost of the Child Maintenance Group.

Sunscreens: Employment

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to require employers to provide sun cream for employees that predominantly work outdoors.

Mims Davies: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for regulating health and safety risks arising from work activities and has no plans to introduce additional legislation to require employers to provide sun cream to their employees. HSE provides specific advice aimed at employers and employees on preventing health risks due to exposure to the sun at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg337.pdf and www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg147.pdf. This includes following the “APC approach” (Avoid, Protect, Check) which can help to reduce the chances of developing skin cancer, whether work related or not.

Television: Licensing

Paula Sherriff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of free television licences issued to residents in (a) Kirklees borough and (b) Dewsbury constituency in each of the last three years; and what the total annual value of those licences was.

Guy Opperman: In the 2015 funding settlement, the Government agreed with the BBC that responsibility for the concession will transfer to the BBC in June 2020.The government and the BBC agreed at the time that this was a fair deal for the BBC. The BBC benefited as the government closed the iPlayer loophole and committed to increase the licence fee in line with inflation. And to help with financial planning, the government agreed to provide phased transitional funding over 2 years to introduce the cost to the BBC.This reform was subject to public discussion and debated extensively during the passage of the Digital Economy Act 2017 through Parliament.On 10 June 2019, the BBC announced that the current scheme will end. From 1 June 2020, a free TV licence will only be available to a household with someone aged over 75 who receives Pension Credit.The table below provides estimates of the costs and caseloads for 2015/16 through to 2017/18 of providing free TV licences to people aged 75 years and over in the geographical areas requested. Expenditure in nominal prices. The figures for 2018/19 will be available in September.   Caseload (thousands) 2015-162016-172017-18(a) Kirklees borough 26.227.127.4(b) Dewsbury constituency 6.66.97.0   Expenditure (£m) (Nominal) 2015-162016-172017-18(a) Kirklees borough £3.73£3.78£3.94(b) Dewsbury constituency £0.95£0.96£1.01

Local Housing Allowance

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of lifting the freeze on local housing allowance to ensure that it covers at least the cheapest third of rents to improve housing security.

Will Quince: There are no current plans to extend or maintain the Benefit Freeze after March 2020. Specific decisions on how to uprate the Local Housing Allowance from April 2020 will form part of the discussions in support of fiscal events later this year.

Industrial Health and Safety: Noise

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, what steps she is taking to ensure that employers protect employees' hearing.

Mims Davies: The Government’s policy on ensuring that employers protect their employees’ hearing is well established. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has responsibility for occupational health and safety legislation which includes the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. The Regulations impose duties which, depending on the level of risk, require employers to: take action to reduce exposure to noise and ensure the legal limits on noise exposure are not exceeded;ensure that equipment is properly maintained and used;provide employees with personal hearing protection where it’s appropriate;provide information, instruction and training;carry out health surveillance. HSE focuses its activities on industries where there are high numbers of workers who are exposed and/or where there is evidence of a high incidence rate of noise induced hearing loss. It does this through a range of approaches and interventions, specifically: securing effective risk management and control through a variety of interventions with businesses including inspections, investigations of incidents and concerns raised by workers and others;leading and engaging those who undertake or influence health and safety;the provision of comprehensive guidance;ensuring that the regulatory framework remains effective.

Universal Credit: Terminal Illnesses

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2019 to Question 278405 on Universal Credit: Terminal Illnesses and with reference to the absence of a Northern Ireland Executive, if she will extend the review of the universal credit six month rule on terminal illness to Northern Ireland.

Justin Tomlinson: The in-depth evaluation announced by the Secretary of State on 11 July refers not only to Universal Credit, but across the range of benefits. My officials are in regular discussion with their counterparts in the Department for Communities, and this will continue during the evaluation.

Social Security Benefits: Cancer

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the recent report by Macmillan Cancer Support, Cancer - A costly diagnosis? Stories of the financial impact of cancer, if she will take steps to help mitigate the financial effect of a cancer diagnosis on patients and their families.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department takes seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants. We are committed to ensuring that people who have cancer are treated with the utmost sensitivity and care when making a claim to Universal Credit. Overall we are spending £55 billion a year on benefits to support disabled people and people with health conditions. That’s a record high and up £10 billion in real terms since 2010. For instance, in terms of the support we provide, the UC50 questionnaire incorporates a 'light touch' evidence gathering process for cancer patients, and makes clear that Clinical Nurse Specialists and consultants can provide information on the form, therefore making the claim and assessment process simpler for people with cancer. This ensures the Department can make accurate and timely payments of Universal Credit. Staff delivering Universal Credit undergo a comprehensive learning journey designed to equip them with the tools, skills and behaviours required to provide a high quality service to all claimants, including those who have cancer and other serious health conditions. Colleagues receive on-going learning in their roles and have access to Universal Credit guidance which is refreshed at regular intervals. It is important to ensure those affected by cancer receive the most appropriate support and we have worked closely with many representative organisations to improve the WCA process for those affected. From January 2013, the categories of cancer treatments under which a claimant can be treated as having limited capability for work-related activity (LCWRA) have been expanded to include individuals who are awaiting, receiving, or recovering from treatment by way of chemotherapy irrespective of route, and radiotherapy. Although there is no automatic award, in these cases, there is a presumption that the claimant has LCWRA, subject to suitable evidence being provided by a professional such as a GP, oncologist or clinical nurse specialist. Work coaches personalise the support they provide for each claimant based on individual need and circumstance, including the offer of home visits or postal signing where appropriate. Local jobcentres have the flexibility to work alongside organisations to help meet the needs of their communities, helping our most vulnerable, at risk, claimants to access the support they need. We also work with organisations to produce guides on specific vulnerabilities.

National Employment Savings Trust Scheme

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's policy is on ensuring that the investment strategy for NEST remains independent.

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's policy is on the role of NEST trustees in making investment decisions.

Guy Opperman: The Nest Corporation is the Trustee of the National Employment Savings Trust (Nest) pension scheme. It is a public corporation, established by the Government in 2010 to support the delivery of automatic enrolment. Nest has more than 8 million members and assets under management of over £6 billion. The Nest Corporation operates independently of central Government and is responsible for the day to day operation of the scheme, including its approach to investments. The Pensions Act 2008 establishes that investment decisions in the Nest pension scheme are the responsibility of the Trustee, in accordance with existing trust and pension law. This ensures that investment decisions remain independent and are made free from political pressures. Nest Corporation has sole power to invest the assets of Nest. Like every other Trustee, Nest Corporation has a duty to run the scheme in the best interest of its members. The Trustee of Nest produces a Statement of Investment Principles which sets out how the Trustee will invest Nest members’ money. The Statement of Investment Principles is prepared in accordance with all relevant legislation and best practice guidelines. It outlines the principles and policies governing investment decisions made by, or on behalf of, the Trustee for the management of Nest’s assets.

Universal Credit

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department has taken to implement the High Court judgment in R (Woods, Barrett and Stewart) v SSWP CO/1552/2018 case of 11 January 2019.

Will Quince: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 June 2019 to Question 266261.

Universal Credit

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether work coaches will be provided with additional training to ensure that they can effectively advise universal credit claimants on meeting upfront childcare costs.

Mims Davies: DWP is committed to providing the best possible support for all our claimants to meet their individual circumstance. Our Work Coaches and Decision Makers undergo a comprehensive learning journey designed to equip them with the tools, skills and behaviours required to provide a high quality service, which includes training on children, childcare and payment of upfront childcare costs. In addition, DWP supporting information is available on Universal Credit Guidance and Universal Learning sites which enhances learning, and is available at the point of need for each individual personal requirement.

Universal Credit

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants have been offered a flexible support fund payment between 1 January 2019 and 25 July 2019 to assist with upfront childcare costs.

Mims Davies: The information requested is not held in a format that can be easily disaggregated and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her oral contribution to the Work and Pensions Committee, of 24 July 2019, what criteria will be used for claimants to receive upfront childcare costs.

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her oral contribution to the Work and Pensions Committee, 24 July 2019, how frequently claimants will be able to receive support for upfront childcare costs.

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her evidence at the Work and Pensions select committee of 24 July 2019 on increased support with upfront childcare costs on Wednesday 24 July, whether claimants will be able to get this loan if they already hold a budgeting advance of universal credit.

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her oral contribution to the Work and Pensions Committee, of 24 July 2019, whether claimants will be required to repay the loan for upfront childcare costs by the end of their assessment period.

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her oral contribution to the Work and Pensions Committee, of 24 July 2019, whether claimants will be entitled to claim the childcare element of universal credit in the same month that they have received support for upfront childcare costs.

Mims Davies: The Government is committed to supporting parents with moving into work and, as part of this, we have increased the level of ongoing financial support for childcare costs from 70 per cent in legacy benefits to up to 85 per cent in Universal Credit, which is called the ‘childcare element’. The Universal Credit childcare policy aligns with the wider government childcare offer, which includes free childcare hours and tax free childcare. This offer means that reasonable childcare costs should not form a barrier to work. Beyond the Universal Credit childcare element, there is other financial support to help with childcare costs: the Flexible Support Fund and Budgeting Advances. Claimants are able to discuss eligibility for these with their jobcentre work coach. Where initial upfront childcare costs or deposits may prevent a claimant from starting work, work coaches have the discretion to use the Flexible Support Fund to support the transition into work until a claimant receives their first wage. Individual claimant circumstances are considered each time assistance may be appropriate. A budgeting advance can help with one-off urgent financial events for Universal Credit claimants, such as upfront childcare, and is repayable over a period of up to 12 monthly instalments. Only one Budgeting Advance will be paid at a time and further advances will be unavailable until the balance of the previous Budgeting Advance is cleared. The Department is working hard to ensure that the Universal Credit childcare offer continues to operate effectively for claimants. Since February 2018, Universal Credit claimants have been able to upload digital copies of their childcare cost receipts or invoices through their online Universal Credit account. When parents have good reason for late reporting of their childcare costs, the Department is piloting a more flexible approach to enable parents to be reimbursed at a later point.

Universal Credit

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her oral contribution to the Work and Pensions Committee, of 24 July 2019, what guidance her Department provides to work coaches on how to apply discretionary support for upfront childcare costs.

Mims Davies: The Department maintains guidance for its work coaches surrounding the eligibility and processes for awarding discretionary support to assist with claimants’ upfront childcare costs for those claiming Universal Credit. There are two discretionary sources of financial support to help with childcare costs: The Flexible Support Fund and Universal Credit Budgeting Advances. Claimants are able to discuss eligibility for these with their jobcentre work coach. Budgeting Advances provide valuable access to interest free payments for one-off items. They are designed to help claimants with irregular expenses including upfront childcare costs. Budgeting Advance payments are discretionary subject to eligibility conditions and must be repaid. Work coaches also have the discretion to use the Flexible Support Fund to support the transition into work until a claimant receives their first wage and is not repayable. Individual claimant circumstances are considered each time assistance may be appropriate. The Department deposits guidance to the House’s library on a range of Universal Credits topics including the below. This was last updated on 28 March 2019 and we are currently working to share the latest guidance. Childcare costs: http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2019-0465/Childcare_costs_v11.0.pdfBudgeting Advance: http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2019-0465/Advances-_Budgeting_Advances_v2.0.pdfFlexible Support Fund: http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2019-0465/Flexible_Support_Fund_v4.0.pdf

Home Office

NHS: Drugs

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what parts of the Government’s plan for trading in drug precursors in the event of a no deal Brexit have been implemented.

Kit Malthouse: The UK Government remains focussed on ensuring a smooth and orderly withdrawal from the EU with a deal as soon as possible. However, as a responsible government, we continue to prepare for all scenarios.The Law Enforcement and Security (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 were made in April 2019 and make the necessary legislative changes to prevent the diversion of drugs precursor chemicals to the illicit market and to allow for the legitimate trade in these substances to continue in the event of a no deal.A Technical Notice was published on GOV.UK in September 2018 advising companies of the change in requirements in the event of a no deal and we have contacted the relevant trade bodies to disseminate the message to their members. The Government continue to engage with industry trading in these substances to ensure they are aware of the new rules and processes that would apply if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Arrests: Northern Ireland

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many National Crime Agency-led arrests there have been in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months; and how many convictions there have been as a result of those arrests.

Brandon Lewis: The National Crime Agency (NCA) works in partnership with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) when operating in Northern Ireland, including through the Paramilitary Crime Task Force (PCTF), a multi-agency effort to protect the communities of Northern Ireland by tackling all forms of criminality linked to paramilitarism.In the last 12-month period (July 2018 – June 2019) NCA-led activity has led to three arrests and seven convictions in Northern Ireland.Convictions are not necessarily linked to arrests in the same period as the individuals convicted may have been arrested in a previous reporting period.

HM Passport Office: Sopra Steria

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the (a) quality and (b) value for money of services provided by Sopra Steria for HM Passports Office; and if he will make a statement.

Seema Kennedy: The contract with Sopra Steria for the provision of BPO services contains clauses and performance measures (KPIs) designed to ensure the timeliness and quality of service provision. HMPO has a rigorous contract compliance regime in place supported by a dedicated Supplier Management Team with responsibility for ensuring the provider delivers to the required performance standards set out in the contract.The contract also requires Sopra Steria to maintain an “Open Book” policy. This provides HMPO with transparency of costs and allows HMPO to closely monitor costs and to ensure value for money.

HM Passport Office: Contracts

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the potential savings to the public purse of producing an in-house bid for HM Passport Office work.

Seema Kennedy: The Department considered a range of options before launching the ongoing procurement for Scanning Validation and Storage services, which included assessing bringing these services in house.It was determined that the specialist technology required to efficiently and accurately validate and scan documents submitted to Her Majesty’s Passport Office was more cost effectively accessed via an outsourced contract than by the Department procuring and supporting this technology directly.

HM Passport Office: Contracts

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the options analysis for HM Passports Office produced by his Department assessed the merits of returning outsourced work to in-house.

Seema Kennedy: The Department considered a range of options before launching the ongoing procurement for Scanning Validation and Storage services, which included assessing bringing these services in house.It was determined that the specialist technology required to efficiently and accurately validate and scan documents submitted to Her Majesty’s Passport Office was more cost effectively accessed via an outsourced contract than by the Department procuring and supporting this technology directly.

Money Laundering: EU Law

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason the UK has not opted into EU Directive 2018/1673 on combating money laundering by criminal law.

Brandon Lewis: As set out in the Eighth Annual Report to Parliament on the Application of Protocols 19 and 21 to the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and the Treaty on the Functioning of the Union (TFEU) in Relation to EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Matters (1 December 2016 – 30 November 2017) (Cm 9580), the UK Government decided not to opt into the EU Directive on combating money laundering by criminal law as our domestic legislation is already largely compliant with the Directive’s measures, and in relation to the offences and sentences set out in the Directive, the UK already goes much further. Therefore, it was not considered that opting in would enhance the UK’s approach to tackling money laundering.

Money Laundering: EU Law

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the equivalence of  the UK's corporate liability regime achieve with article 7 (the liability of legal persons) of EU Directive 2018/1673 on combating money laundering by criminal law.

Brandon Lewis: As set out in the Eighth Annual Report to Parliament on the Application of Protocols 19 and 21 to the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and the Treaty on the Functioning of the Union (TFEU) in Relation to EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Matters (1 December 2016 – 30 November 2017) (Cm 9580), the UK Government decided not to opt into the EU Directive on combating money laundering by criminal law as our domestic legislation is already largely compliant with the Directive’s measures, and in relation to the offences and sentences set out in the Directive, the UK already goes much further. Therefore, it was not considered that opting in would enhance the UK’s approach to tackling money laundering.

Visas: Applications

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish the service specification, including key performance indicators, agreed with Sopra Steria Limited (SSL) in respect of the contract for UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services.

Seema Kennedy: The contract with Sopra Steria Limited (SSL) has been published and can be found using the following link - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/ec5031ea-021e-471a-86cf-af540e8d8efa

Visas: Applications

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons visa applicants are unable to access a local rate 0330 number to contact UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services until they have succeeded in making such an application; what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who have had to use the premium rate telephone number; and how much revenue was received in revenue from that premium rate number in the last 12 months.

Seema Kennedy: The Home Office holds limited information relating to the number of customers who have used the premium line number to contact the UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services. In total, 13937 calls have been made to 0900 premium line number from the start of the UKVCAS contract in November 2018. This represents 5% of UKVCAS customers who made an application during this time period. The Home Office does not hold details of the revenue generated through calls made to the premium rate number.The premium line referenced is an optional added value service, which offers general support to customers, before, during and after their appointment and assists them in finding information and choosing which Service Point to attend. The service utilises a premium rate (09) telephone number, registered with Ofcom and offers full cost transparency. Customers who do not wish to avail themselves of this chargeable service, may also contact SSL via their website, where they can choose from two options “make an enquiry” or “make a complaint”. Once an appointment has been booked a ‘0330’ number is provided to customers to support with appointment-related queries. The ‘0330’ number is not for general queries relating to the service.

Visas: Applications

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his Department has had meetings with Sopra Steria Ltd on the UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services in the last 12 months; and what was discussed at those meetings.

Seema Kennedy: The Home Office regularly meets with Sopra Steria Ltd to discuss a range of issues however the content of these discussions is commercially sensitive and therefore we are unable to disclose this information.The contract has, within the terms and conditions, a schedule that specifically covers the governance and contract management of the service operation. This is set out in schedule 8 of the contract and can be found using the following link - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/a2ace827-80ca-46df-9fa3-e8eeec62519a

Visas: Applications

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will undertake a full review of the service and performance of Sopra Steria Ltd regarding the UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services.

Seema Kennedy: The contract with Sopra Steria for the provision of Front End Services contains clauses and performance measures (KPIs) designed to ensure the timeliness and quality of service provision.This also includes the contract management and governance schedule as described above supported by a dedicated Supplier Management Team with responsibility for ensuring the provider delivers to the required performance standards set out in the contract.

Visas: Applications

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which organisations his Department has advertised information to outlining that visa applicants wishing to extend their leave to remain will not be penalised in cases where they have had to wait for an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services service point; and how that information has been publicised.

Seema Kennedy: Information about biometric enrolment timescales for UKVCAS customers is publicised to applicants as part of the online application process on GOV.UK.If the applicant does not enrol biometrics within this period they are sent a reminder and are given a further period in which to enrol.If the applicant does not enrol their biometrics within these timescales their application is deemed as invalid and could be rejected. Prior to any action to reject the application UKVI would check to confirm whether an appointment to enrol has been booked. UKVI would not reject an application because the applicant had to wait for an appointment

Immigration: EU Nationals

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2019 to Question 278478 on Immigration: EU Nationals, what mechanisms his Department has established to enable statistics users can make views known.

Seema Kennedy: Home Office statistics are kept under review in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, taking account of user needs. This includes requesting feedback in all our regular quarterly and annual statistical publications, as well as via the annual Migration Statistics User Forum conference, and the cross government improving migration and population statistics programme of work led by ONS. In addition, we monitor the demand for Home Office statistics received through Parliamentary questions, Freedom of Information requests, requests from other government departments, stakeholders and the press. We will be publishing the first quarterly statistical report on the EU Settlement Scheme, alongside our quarterly Immigration Statistics in August 2019, with a dedicated mechanism for providing feedback on the publication.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2019 to Question 230087, whether local Common Travel Area journeys across the Irish land border will not be subject to the proposed future requirement to obtain Electronic Travel Authorisation.

Seema Kennedy: The detail of our ETA scheme is currently under development and requires primary legislation before it can be introduced.The ETA requirement will not apply to British or Irish nationals. However, it will require visitors and transit passengers who do not normally need a visa to obtain permission prior to travelling to the UK.The UK does not operate routine immigration controls on local journeys from within the Common Travel Area and the ETA scheme will be developed to operate in a way which is consistent with those arrangements.

Offenders: Deportation

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many EU foreign national offenders have been deported as opposed to returned from the UK following a criminal conviction in each of the last five years.

Seema Kennedy: The Home Office publishes quarterly statistics on the number of EU Foreign National Offenders removed from the UK. This information can be found by accessing the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-2019/list-of-tables Providing a breakdown of those that have been deported, as opposed to returned, can only be done at disproportionate costs.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 27 July 2019 to Question 268537 on Immigration: EU Nationals, what estimate her Department has made of the number of EU citizens from each country that have not applied for settled status.

Seema Kennedy: The third official statistics – ‘EU Settlement Scheme Statistics, June 2019’ – on the operation of the scheme were published on 18 July 2019, including applications received by nationality. These can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics-june-2019The Home Office is committed to publishing more detailed quarterly statistics on the EU Settlement Scheme, alongside our Immigration Statistics, from August 2019. Home Office statisticians and officials are currently considering the content and will take into account the views of statistics users.

101 Calls

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the performance of the 101 non-emergency service.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate her Department has made of the (a) volume of calls to 101, (b) average waiting times for calls to 101 to be answered and (c) average police response times to attend incidents reported via the 101 non-emergency service.

Kit Malthouse: The handling of 101 calls, including response times and performance targets, is an operational matter for the police.The Home Office does not collect data on the 101 non-emergency service.

Visas: Biometrics

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the number of free points for biometrics was per 10,000 visa applications for 2018 against the projected number of free points for biometrics per 10,000 visa applications in 2020 on current projections of visa applications.

Seema Kennedy: The specific information requested is not available.  We offer free points for biometric submission (photo and fingerprints) in the UK through the UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service (UKVCAS) or overseas through Visa Application Centres (VACs).  In the UK, prior to UKVCAS customers were able to submit their biometrics in over 100 Post Office locations. Since the rollout of UKVCAS in November 2018 customers have been able to submit their biometrics and supporting evidence simultaneously through UKVCAS service points which are run by Sopra Steria (SSL) on behalf of UKVI.  There are currently six core sites across the UK at which application submission services are offered for no additional charge on top of that already paid to UKVI and beyond that, a range of enhanced services in a further 50 locations. The UKVCAS core service points offer appointments up to 35 days in advance and free appointments are available Monday to Friday between 10:00 and 16:00. Any appointments outside these times, and those at enhanced service points, are subject to additional charges.  Overseas, in 99 Visa Application Centres (VACs) across 57 countries, VFS Global and TLS Connect offer customers application submission services for no additional charge on top of the visa application fee.  In 149 locations across 105 countries, customers have the option of attending a premium only centre or submitting their biometrics through a User Pay VAC, all of which incur an additional fee. Both commercial partners allow customers to book appointments within a four week rolling window and appointments outside of core hours are subject to additional charges.

Sopra Steria: Fines

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many penalties have been issued to Sopra Steria for contract non-compliance; and what the cost is of those penalties.

Seema Kennedy: The information is available from Contract Finder at (Full contract) https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/ec5031ea-021e-471a-86cf-af540e8d8efa and specifically Service levels and Performance Indicators at Schedule 7 of the contract.

Police: Recruitment

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the timeline is for recruiting the 20,000 extra police officers announced by the Prime Minister on 24 July 2019.

Kit Malthouse: The Prime Minister has said that 20,000 extra police officers will be recruited over the next three years.

Northern Ireland Office

Police: Northern Ireland

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether she plans to increase police numbers in Northern Ireland in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Julian Smith: Policing is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and operational capability is a matter for the Chief Constable. The PSNI’s main budget is allocated by the Department of Justice from the Northern Ireland block grant. The UK Government has provided the PSNI with the additional security funding it has asked for and needs to ensure that they have the resource (including officers) to tackle the SEVERE threat from Northern Ireland related terrorism. This additional security funding boosts PSNI’s ability to tackle the terrorist threat while ensuring day-to-day policing isn’t compromised. PSNI received £230m additional security funding in the last parliament and £160m in this one. In addition, the UK Government has provided PSNI with £16.5m to help prepare for EU exit. This funding will help the PSNI manage pressures and contingencies arising from EU exit preparations which fall in the 2019/20 financial year. It will enable PSNI to recruit 206 additional officers this financial year.

Farmers: Northern Ireland

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment she has made of the potential financial effect on farmers in Northern Ireland of the UK leaving the EU without a deal; and whether she plans to provide farmers in Northern Ireland with financial support in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment she has made of the effect on the economic viability of farmers who graze livestock on both sides of the border in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether farmers in Northern Ireland will be able to graze livestock on land in the Republic of Ireland in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Julian Smith: The Government has been clear that we would prefer to leave with a deal and we will work in an energetic and determined way to get that better deal. We hope that the EU will agree to negotiate. I have been working closely with colleagues across Government and engaging with the Northern Ireland Civil Service, including the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, to identify how we can best support the agricultural community, including those in border areas, in the event of a ‘no deal’ exit. In response to any potential risk, the Government would, of course, take measures to mitigate any short-run disruption, support the economy through the transition, and to boost the long-term potential of the UK economy, taking advantage of the opportunities available outside the EU.

Alcoholic Drinks: Licensing

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the absence of a Northern Ireland Executive, what steps her Office is taking with the Northern Ireland Department for Communities to reform liquor licensing to support the hospitality and tourism sectors in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Julian Smith: Liquor licensing reform is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and as such is the responsibility of the Department for Communities in the absence of an Executive. Further information on this issue can be requested from the Department for Communities within the Northern Ireland Civil Service. It is issues such as this that highlight the importance of restoring devolved government in Northern Ireland so that decisions can be taken in the interests of the whole community.

Tourism Ireland: Finance

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2019 to Question 278925 and with reference to the absence of a Northern Ireland Executive, how much funding was allocated to Tourism Ireland in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement.

Julian Smith: Tourism is a devolved matter falling under the competency of the Department for Economy. Any funding decisions in relation to Tourism Ireland are a matter for DFE and requests for such information should be directed to DFE.

Brexit: Northern Ireland

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2019 to Question 230086 on Brexit: Northern Ireland, whether it is the Government's position that only Irish citizens living in Northern Ireland who are also British citizens will be permitted to vote in the event of a border poll conducted under Schedule 1 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

Julian Smith: This Government has been clear that the circumstances requiring a border poll have not been satisfied. The franchise for such a referendum is not currently set out in legislation and would be determined by me as the Secretary of State, by Order, at the time of calling a poll.

Treasury

Beer and Public Houses: Taxation

Graham P Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has plans to undertake a review of the level of taxation on (a) beer and (b) pubs.

Mr Simon Clarke: All taxes are kept under review and the impact of a change to beer duty or other taxes is considered at each fiscal event, including their effect on pubs and the wider economy.

Cash Dispensing: Sutton

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information the Treasury holds on the number of (a) free-to-use and (b) fee-charging ATMs in the London Borough of Sutton in each year since 2015.

John Glen: The Government does not hold information on the number of ATMs in the London Borough of Sutton. Data on the annual total number of ATMs in the UK since 1998 – including the split between free-to-use and pay-to-use ATMs – is publicly available on the LINK website. LINK also publish information on ATM numbers by Parliamentary Constituency for recent periods. Furthermore, LINK publish monthly data on their Financial Inclusion Programme. The Government-established Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) continues to monitor developments in ATM provision. The PSR has used its powers to hold LINK to account over its commitments to preserve the broad geographic spread of the ATM network.

Gift Aid

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reforming Gift Aid so that the value of additional and higher-rate tax reliefs is automatically directed to charities, unless donors choose to opt out.

Mr Simon Clarke: The Government recognises that charities are a vital part of our society and continues to provide support to the charitable sector worth over £5 billion per year, with Gift Aid being one of the most generous tax reliefs available – worth over £1.3 billion per year to charities and £520 million to their donors (through higher rate relief). The Government has made no assessment of the merits of reforming Gift Aid to allow the additional and higher rate tax reliefs to be automatically directed to charities unless donors opt out.

Financial Institutions

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government plans to bring forward a review of legislation for Co-op societies, Credit Unions and Community Benefit Societies as proposed by the Financial Conduct Authority in its 22 July 2019 report Alternatives to high-cost credit.

John Glen: In 2014, the Government undertook a call for evidence to understand the appropriate steps that could be taken to support the credit union sector. Subsequently, the maximum interest a credit union can charge on loans was raised from 2% to 3% per month, and the upper limit on the geographical common bond was raised from 2 to 3 million people. The Government continues to be open to considering the case for further reform. ABCUL, the sector’s largest trade body, is currently carrying out a sector-wide consultation which is due to conclude later this year. HMT will consider its conclusions in the development of future credit union policy. At Autumn Budget 2018, the Government also announced a package of measures to support the availability of affordable credit, including:o A £2 million affordable credit challenge fund, harnessing the UK’s FinTech sector to address challenges faced by social and community lenders, including credit unions.o A change in the regulatory boundary of credit broking to make it easier for registered social landlords such as housing associations to refer their tenants to social and community lenders.o A prize-linked savings pilot scheme, to encourage the growth of the credit union sector and encourage consumers to build up their personal savings. We hope credit unions will be able to use the deposits gained from their participation in the scheme to increase their overall lending.o A feasibility study to design a pilot for a UK No-Interest Loans Scheme.

Customs

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answers of 11 June 2019 to Questions 258889 and 258888, what steps his Department is taking to tackle delays on customs house clearance times for packages sent from EU member states.

Jesse Norman: In a no deal Brexit, the Government’s priority is to avoid delays at the border and keep goods flowing, whilst protecting security and revenue. HM Revenue and Customs is working closely with businesses involved in importing goods into the UK as parcels and packages to support their preparations for exiting the EU.

Health Insurance

Peter Dowd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of people in the UK have private medical insurance.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much was spent on private medical health cover in the UK in 2018.

John Glen: The Government monitors the insurance market and is responsible for setting the overall legal framework of financial services regulation. The Government does not hold information on the amount spent on private medical cover, or on the number and proportion of people in the UK with private medical insurance. However, data from the Office for National Statistics reports that total expenditure on voluntary health insurance was £6 billion in 2017.

Cash Dispensing

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure people are able to access cash.

John Glen: The Government recognises that widespread free access to, and acceptance of, cash remains extremely important to the day-to-day lives of many consumers and businesses in the UK. In Spring 2018, the Government conducted a Call for Evidence on Cash & Digital Payments in the New Economy. In the recent response to this Call for Evidence, the Government committed to supporting digital payments whilst safeguarding access to cash for those who need it. Furthermore, the Government announced the launch of the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy (JACS) Group, which brings together the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), Financial Conduct Authority and Bank of England to ensure a comprehensive oversight of the overall cash infrastructure in light of changing trends related to cash. The Government established the PSR in 2015, with robust powers and a statutory objective to ensure that the UK's payment systems work in the interests of their users. The PSR regulates LINK, the scheme which runs the UK’s ATM network, and has used its powers to hold LINK to account over LINK’s commitments to preserve the broad geographic spread of the ATM network. Furthermore, the Government has invested heavily in maintaining a stable network of Post Office branches, with investment of over £2 billion since 2010. Currently, 99 per cent of personal customers and 95 per cent of small business customers can access cash locally at one of the Post Office’s 11,500 branches.

Banks: Pay

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department has taken to cap large bonuses paid to bankers.

John Glen: The EU’s Capital Requirements Directive IV introduced a cap on variable remuneration for senior staff and other key decision makers, applicable from January 2014. It is set at 100% of the individual’s salary, or up to 200% where both the Member State and shareholders agree. In the UK, this currently applies to firms with relevant total assets exceeding £15 billion, with the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority responsible for ensuring firms comply with this requirement.

Infrastructure

Alan Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2018 to Question 174781 on Infrastructure, when the Government plans to publish its full response to the National Infrastructure Commission’s report of July 2018 entitled National Infrastructure Assessment.

Mr Simon Clarke: The government welcomed the publication of the National Infrastructure Commission’s National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA) last year.The Government will respond in full to the NIA through a National Infrastructure Strategy.The Chancellor confirmed on August 9th that the Strategy will be published in autumn 2019.

Tobacco

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information his Department (a) collects and (b) publishes on (i) tobacco sales, (ii) profits, (iii) marketing and (iv) research.

Mr Simon Clarke: HM Treasury does not collect data on tobacco sales, profits, marketing or research. HM Revenue & Customs does collect those financial records necessary to establish tax liabilities of individual tobacco companies and retailers. Any financial data collected for this purpose is subject to taxpayer confidentiality and not published by HMRC.

Tobacco: Smuggling

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will collect data on illicit tobacco seizures of less than 100,000 cigarettes.

Mr Simon Clarke: HMRC currently collects data from all illicit tobacco seizures. Details of total volumes seized are published on an annual basis in the ‘Corporate Report: Outputs for tackling tobacco smuggling’. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tackling-tobacco-smuggling-2013-to-2014-outputs/outputs-for-april-2018-to-march-2019#cigarette-seizures

Tobacco: Smuggling

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to assess the extent of the illicit tobacco trade in the UK.

Mr Simon Clarke: HM Revenue and Customs estimates the size of the UK illicit tobacco market on an annual basis and publishes these estimates within its ‘Measuring Tax Gaps’ series of reports. The latest estimates are presented in Table 3.3, page 37, of the ‘Measuring Tax Gaps: 2019 edition report’, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/measuring-tax-gaps.

De La Rue

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer,what processes his Department uses to (a) audit its track and trace contract arrangements with De La Rue and (b) ensure that De La Rue's subcontractors are independent from the tobacco industry.

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department is reassessing the merits of its contractual arrangements with De La Rue following the announcement of 23 July 2019 of a Serious Fraud Office investigation into allegations of corruption at that company.

Mr Simon Clarke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) appointed De La Rue as the UK ID Issuer for the tobacco track and trace scheme following a comprehensive external commercial exercise. The audit requirements are set out in the Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EU) and implemented through the Tobacco Products (Traceability and Security Features) Regulations 2019. The regulations require De La Rue and their sub-contractors to provide HMRC with an annual declaration to ensure compliance with the independence criteria. The declaration must include a full list of services provided to the tobacco industry during the last calendar year, and a statement of the annual amount of worldwide turnover including how much of that turnover is generated from goods and services provided to the tobacco industry. HMRC recognises the importance of protecting tobacco public health polices from the commercial and vested interests of the tobacco industry, however it would be premature to reassess its contractual arrangements with De La Rue while the Serious Fraud Office investigation is ongoing.

Bank Services: Fees and Charges

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that UK banks fulfuil their obligations under the EU Payment Accounts Directive; and whether he plans to retain the consumer protections in that directive after the UK leaves the EU.

John Glen: The Payment Accounts Directive 2014 has three main objectives: (1) to improve the transparency and comparability of fees related to payment accounts that are used for day-to-day payment transactions; (2) to facilitate the switching of those accounts; and (3) to ensure access to payment accounts with basic features (‘basic bank accounts’) for EU residents. The Payment Accounts Regulations 2015 (PARs) transposed this Directive into UK law. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is responsible for monitoring and enforcing the Payment Accounts Regulations’ requirements on payment service providers. The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) is responsible for designating and monitoring alternative switching schemes. Designated UK banks must provide accessible information and assistance about the features and conditions of basic bank accounts under the Payment Accounts Regulations (PARs). The PARs also require the FCA to gather and submit to HM Treasury certain data on basic bank accounts and the switching of payment accounts. This information is reported to HM Treasury every two years. HM Treasury also collects data on basic bank accounts and this is published annually. The Government has amended the PARs to ensure that they continue to operate effectively in the UK once the UK has left the EU.

Bank Services

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of the percentage of adults in the UK who do not have a UK bank account.

John Glen: The Treasury does not make assessments of the number of people who do not have a bank account. However, in 2017, the Financial Conduct Authority published the results of the Financial Lives Survey which found that 1.3 million UK adults were unbanked, i.e. have no current account or alternative e-money account. The Financial Lives Survey report contains further information on the characteristics of the unbanked. The report analyses survey results across the four nations of the UK, the nine regions of England, and by rural and urban areas. The FCA intend to repeat the Financial Lives Survey on a regular basis in future. The report can be found here: https://www.fca.org.uk/publication/research/financial-lives-consumers-across-uk.pdf This government is committed to building an economy where everyone, regardless of their background or income, can access the financial services and products they need, including a bank account. Under the Payment Account Regulations 2015 (PARs) the nine largest personal current account providers in the UK are legally required to offer fee-free basic bank accounts to customers who do not have a bank account or who are ineligible for a bank’s standard current account. Accounts have all the standard payment features such as direct debits and standing orders, though no overdraft or cheque book facilities. The Treasury’s December 2018 publication shows that in total there are nearly 7.5 million basic bank accounts open in the UK. More generally, in November 2017, the Government announced the creation of the Financial Inclusion Policy Forum. The Forum has now met three times and has successfully brought together key leaders from industry, charities and consumer groups, as well as Government ministers and the regulators, to provide leadership in tackling financial exclusion. The Forum has delivered important work already, and made tangible progress. A sub-group of the Forum set up last summer, examined the issue of access to affordable credit, and made a number of recommendations, many of which formed part of a package on affordable credit presented at Budget 2018. The Government also published its first annual financial inclusion report on 25 March which takes stock of the Government’s progress in this area.



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Cash Dispensing

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making protecting access to cash a statutory duty of the Payment Systems Regulator.

John Glen: On 3 May 2019, in response to a Call for Evidence on Cash & Digital Payments in the New Economy, the Government committed to supporting digital payments whilst safeguarding access to cash for those who need it. The Government will carefully consider whether legislation would be required to support access to, and acceptance of, cash, though there are important steps that can safeguard access to cash without changes to the law. We will therefore engage closely with industry and regulators on their role in these issues. The Government has launched the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy (JACS) Group, which brings together the Payment Systems Regulator, Financial Conduct Authority and Bank of England to ensure a comprehensive oversight of the overall cash infrastructure in light of changing trends.

Loans: Interest Rates

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the economic effectiveness of the no-interest loan scheme pilot announced in Budget 2018.

John Glen: At Budget 2018, the Government announced that it will carry out a study into the feasibility of establishing a no-interest loans scheme in the UK, and design a pilot. The Government has now launched the feasibility study, which is examining issues such as access, eligibility and funding models in order to determine how a pilot could work. The feasibility study is due to conclude shortly and the Government will be considering its recommendations.

Infrastructure

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the National Infrastructure Strategy will be published.

Mr Simon Clarke: The Chancellor confirmed on August 9th that the National Infrastructure Strategy will be published in autumn 2019.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Jo Stevens: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government has taken to support people affected by the Equitable Life scandal.

John Glen: In 2010 the government allocated up to £1.5bn, tax free, for payment to affected policyholders. More detail on the history of the action taken on this issue can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equitable-life-payment-scheme-final-report

Charity Commission: Finance

Graham P Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to increase funding to the Charity Commission in order to investigate complaints against charities and build public trust in the charitable sector.

Mr Simon Clarke: In January 2018 the Charity Commission was allocated an additional £5m per year from the Government to help it respond to significant increases in demand on its core regulatory functions. Any future funding will be decided as part of the upcoming Spending Round.

Financial Services

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the EU has agreed to implement (a) temporary equivalence and recognition for UK central counterparties and central securities depositories, (b) the European Securities and Markets Authority’s decision to approve Memoranda of Understanding on allowing cross-border delegation of portfolio management between the UK and the EEA and (c) the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority's recommendations on relevant member state regulators to minimise detriment to insurance policyholders in the in the event the UK leaves the EU without an agreement.

John Glen: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer that I gave on 24 July 2019 under UIN 279465. We welcome the steps taken by the EU and some individual member states to help mitigate cliff-edge risks to financial services. This includes:The EU’s temporary equivalence and recognition for UK central counterparties (CCPs) and central securities depositories (CSDs). This follows similar action from HMT to legislate for a process to facilitate continued access for EU and global CCPs and CSDs to the UK market.The European Securities and Markets Authority and the FCA have agreed MoUs that include provisions to allow cross-border delegation of portfolio management between the UK and the EEA. This provides the asset management industry with certainty that portfolio delegation services between themselves and clients in the EEA can continue in any exit scenario.Recommendations from the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority which call on relevant Member State regulators to put in place measures which aim to minimise detriment to insurance policyholders. It is a matter for national regulators whether they choose to comply with this guidance.

Tax Avoidance

Neil Coyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of people who have not reached an agreement with HMRC under the Loan Charge scheme following its introduction in April 2019.

Neil Coyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending the settlement deadline for the 2019 Loan Charge.

Jesse Norman: The Government estimates that around 50,000 individuals will be affected by the 2019 loan charge. More than 28,000 scheme users expressed an interest in settling their tax affairs, with over 19,000 returning their information under the settlement terms, which were published in November 2017. HMRC are currently working through the settlement process with scheme users who came forward to settle their tax affairs before 5 April 2019. However, for those customers who are at the final stages of settling, HMRC will allow sufficient time for them to make their decision and sign their settlement paperwork. HMRC will ensure that no one is disadvantaged by any HMRC delay. Since the loan charge was announced, HMRC have agreed around 7,000 settlements with employers and individuals, worth over £1.5 billion. It is too early to determine how many scheme users who are liable to the loan charge, will have complied with their filing/reporting obligations.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Ruth George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people with cases of tax credit overpayment are (a) having and (b) not having deductions made from an ongoing tax credit claim.

Jesse Norman: HMRC’s tax credits system does not contain readily available information on the number of people with cases of tax credit overpayment that are (a) having and (b) not having deductions made from an ongoing tax credit claim. Estimates could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer to Question of 3 July 2019 to Question 269726 on Immigration: EU nationals, what estimate he has made of the number of applicants to the EU Settlement Scheme for whom HMRC holds tax credit records and not PAYE data.

Jesse Norman: Information on the number of applicants to the EU Settlement Scheme for whom HMRC holds tax credit records and not PAYE data is not held by HMRC. Producing estimates based on full administrative data would require setting up data sharing arrangements between the Home Office and HMRC which could only be achieved at disproportionate cost.

European Investment Bank

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 23 April 2019 to Question 246517 on the European Investment Bank, what recent progress his Department has made on establishing the UK’s future relationship with the European Investment Bank Group after the UK has left the EU.

Mr Simon Clarke: The Prime Minister has been clear that we are committed to leaving the EU on October 31st. Any future relationship with the EIB would be discussed as part of wider negotiations on the UK-EU future relationship.

Brexit

Stella Creasy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what funds his Department has allocated to no deal preparation and how much of that funding has been spent in (a) the last two years and (b) in the current financial year.

Rishi Sunak: The Government’s preference is to leave the EU with a deal. However, the Prime Minister has said that the UK will be leaving on 31 October – whatever the circumstances. On 1 August 2019, the Treasury announced £2.1 billion specifically to prepare for leaving the EU without a deal. £1.1 billion of this is an immediate cash boost to prepare critical areas for EU exit on 31 October, with a further £1 billion to enhance operational preparedness this financial year, if needed. Prior to this, the Government had already allocated £4.2 billion to prepare for a range of EU exit scenarios. Within this, work on no-deal exit preparations cannot be readily separated from other EU exit work, given the significant overlap in plans in many cases.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Cultural Heritage: Exports

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Guidance on how to prepare for Brexit if there's no deal, published by the Department for Exiting the European Union, what parts of the plan for for exporting objects of cultural interest in the event of a no deal Brexit have been implemented.

Rebecca Pow: All parts of the plan for exporting objects of cultural interest in the event of a no deal Brexit are in place: A statutory instrument (SI 2018 no. 1186) will revoke the relevant EU regulations in relation to the export of cultural objects on exit day, if there’s no deal. Only export licences under UK legislation will be needed. The existing statutory guidance will be amended. A draft amended version is available now on the Arts Council website for information. The Export Licensing Unit at the Arts Council will announce a date after which they cannot guarantee to process and issue EU export licences before exit day.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Ethnic Groups

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many BAME staff are employed at (a) grade 7, (b) grade 5 and (c) grade 3 in his Department.

Nigel Adams: The department’s declaration rate for ethnicity is currently at 69%, meaning that the figures in the table below are not an accurate reflection of the department’s true population. GradeDCMS equivalentPercentage who have declared as BAMEGrade 7Grade A10.6%Grade 5SCS 1*Grade 3SCS 2* *Percentage not provided where the figure relates to fewer than 5 individuals.

Youth Services

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when his Department will be carrying out its review of the guidance on the statutory duty placed on local authorities to provide appropriate local youth services, as set out in the Civil Society Strategy, published August 2018.

Nicky Morgan: We announced the launch of our review of the guidance on the statutory duty placed on local authorities to provide appropriate local youth services 10th July. Preliminary round tables are underway with young people, the youth sector and local authorities. An open call for evidence will be launched by my department in the coming weeks.

Youth Centres: Wandsworth

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the central Government contribution to youth club spending in the Borough of Wandsworth in (a) 2010 and (b) 2018.

Nicky Morgan: Local authorities are responsible for allocating public funding to youth services in their area, including youth clubs. We believe they are best placed to know what is required in their communities and therefore we do not hold this data.

OnSide Youth Zones

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 May 2019 to Question 255690 on OnSide Youth Zones, how much Government funding is being provided to the new Onside Youth Zone in Croydon.

Nicky Morgan: DCMS does not currently provide funding to the new Onside Youth Zone in Croydon. Some local programmes funded by DCMS run by local delivery partners are delivered in OnSide Youth Zones. For example a money management programme through the Savers Support Fund, programmes through the Sport for Development fund and National Citizen Service local delivery.

Community Development: Coastal Areas

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to support the implementation of locally based development programmes in seaside towns.

Rebecca Pow: My Department currently has no plans for development programmes in seaside towns, however we are developing the details for up to five Tourism Zones, as announced in the recently published Tourism Sector Deal.

Tourism

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether tourism zones will include (a) seaside towns and (b) capital funds to allow local authorities to support projects to improve (i) the public realm and (ii) cultural and heritage assets.

Rebecca Pow: The detail of Tourism Zones is still under development and further details will be available in due course. The Coastal Communities Fund already provides opportunities for developing cultural and heritage assets. Blackpool City Council have received under £2m from the fund to transform the iconic Blackpool illuminations, create new experiences for visitors and boost the local economy.

Internet: Cryptography

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2019 to Question 261159 on Internet: Cryptography, when (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department met with representatives of browser providers on the forthcoming protocol to deploy DNS over HTTP.

Matt Warman: Ministers and officials have regular meetings and discussions with browser providers, on a range of issues, including the deployment of DNS over HTTPS. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the Gov.uk website.

Internet: Cryptography

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2019 to Question 261159 on Internet: Cryptography, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to ensure that the switch to DNS from HTTP protocol does not weaken (a) existing child online safety provisions and (b) ISP blocking.

Matt Warman: We are aware of ongoing developments relating to the DNS and HTTPS protocol and are working with industry and other relevant stakeholders to address any unintended consequences. Work to understand the potential implications on existing child online safety protections, in particular the effect on existing ISP blocking, is ongoing and we are committed to ensuring that online protections are maintained. Officials are advising Ministers on any necessary mitigation actions as this work progresses.

Internet: Safety

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the timetable is for bringing forward legislative proposals on online harms.

Matt Warman: We plan to publish the Government response to the Online Harms White Paper consultation before the end of the year. We will then introduce legislation as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Religious Hatred: Islam

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government plans to take through the Online Harms Bill to tackle Islamophobia.

Matt Warman: Islamophobia is completely unacceptable and has no place in our society. The Online Harms White Paper sets out our plans for world-leading legislation to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online, by making companies more responsible for their users’ safety online. We will establish in law a new duty of care on companies towards their users, overseen by an independent regulator. Companies will be held to account for tackling a comprehensive set of online harms, and hate crime is one of the harms in scope of these proposals. We will continue to work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which has the cross-government lead on countering Islamophobia, as this policy is developed. It is also important that the criminal law is fit for purpose to deal with online harms. The Law Commission has recently started the second phase of its review of abusive and offensive online communications, which will review existing communications offences and make specific recommendations about options for legal reform in a final report in 2021. In parallel, the Law Commission is looking into the adequacy of protection offered by hate crime legislation, and this strand of work is expected to report in 2020.

Football: Sportsgrounds

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when her Department plans to publish the results of the review into the ban on standing at football grounds.

Nigel Adams: We commissioned an independent review of the existing evidence relating to the all-seater policy and are considering an appropriate date for the report’s release.

Leader of the House

Schools: Uniforms

Ms Lisa Forbes: To ask the Leader of the House, with reference to the oral contribution of the former Leader of the House of 18 July 2019, Official Report column 966, if he will meet the hon. Member for Peterborough to discuss the provision of time to debate school uniform costs.

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg: I would be delighted to meet the hon. Member for Peterborough.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Post Offices: Pay

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 23 April 2019 to Question 244157 on Post Offices: Pay, for what reasons exceptional payments are made by Post Office Ltd; and how (a) many payments were made and (b) much was paid under each category of reason in (i) Scotland, (ii) Wales, (iii) Northern Ireland, and (iv) each region of England, in each of the last five years.

Kelly Tolhurst: While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business.This is an operational matter for Post Office Limited with no BEIS involvement in the decision-making process. I understand that Alisdair Cameron, the Group interim Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, wrote to the hon Member on this matter on 16 May, providing information on the level of exceptional payments made to Post Offices over the last five years. I have asked him to respond to the hon Member’s further questions. A copy of his reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.

Government Assistance

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy,  what parts of the Government’s plan for state aid in the event of a no deal Brexit have been implemented.

Kelly Tolhurst: Following the no-deal technical notice published on 23rd August 2018, the Government laid the draft State Aid (EU Exit) Regulations on 21 January 2019. The draft Regulations make amendments to the retained EU law on State Aid, where appropriate to correct deficiencies, in accordance with the powers in the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. These draft Regulations transfer the State Aid regulatory functions of the European Commission to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The draft Regulations were approved in the House of Lords on 14 March and debated by the Delegated Legislation Committee in the House of Commons on 10 April. No date has yet been set for the final approval motion. The CMA has already recruited and trained the staff that it considers necessary to start operating the regime at the point this is required.

Conditions of Employment

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what parts of the Government’s plan for workplace rights in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal have been implemented.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government’s plan for workplace rights in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal has been implemented. We laid no deal Employment Rights SIs earlier this year. These SIs were passed on 4th March 2019 and will come into effect on exit day in the event of no-deal. These SIs ensure that we are upholding the commitment not to roll back workers’ rights as we leave the EU. The Government has prepared guidance for businesses and individuals to help prepare for a no-deal exit from the EU. This includes guidance on employment rights. All guidance for a no deal scenario is published on the internet: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/how-to-prepare-if-the-uk-leaves-the-eu-with-no-deal

Small Businesses

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will survey small businesses to measure the potential effect of the UK's departure from the EU on their viability.

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of business failures due to uncertainty over the UK's departure from the EU in (a) the last two quarters of 2018-19 and (b) the first quarter of 2019-20; and if he will make an estimate of that number for the current quarter.

Kelly Tolhurst: We are aware of issues faced by small businesses connected with leaving the EU, such as increasing costs due to sterling fluctuations, cash flow impacts and late payments by customers. Government is already in close engagement on these and more issues, both directly across the UK and through regular meetings with business representative organisations - the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), MakeUK, the British Chamber of Commerce, the Institute of Directors and the CBI. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) also co-ordinates the EU Exit business readiness forum, attended by business intermediaries and representative organisations.Regarding the failure of businesses due to uncertainty over exiting the EU, the following seasonally unadjusted figures show the absolute number of insolvencies as measured by the insolvency service for 2018 Q1 to 2019 Q1. The insolvencies listed are due to all causes, not just uncertainty, and the current UK rate of insolvency (ie: the number of insolvencies proportional to the number of active firms) remains low by historical standards – well below that seen around the time of the financial crisis.  England and WalesScotlandNorthern IrelandTotal2018 Q14,561237514,8492018 Q24,0782661254,4692018 Q34,230232654,5272018 Q44,586245734,9042019 Q14,528275664,869 ONS statistics on business demography (2018) show that the number of UK business births in 2017 was 414,000, a birth rate of 13.1%. The number of UK business deaths was 357,000 in 2017, a death rate of 12.2%.Businesses that are unfortunately experiencing difficulties – including requiring advice on the business implications of leaving the EU – have immediate access to guidance through the Government’s network of 38 Growth Hubs in England, (and equivalent services in the devolved administrations), and via the Business Support Helpline.

Private Rented Housing: Energy

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether she has plans to bring all houses in multiple occupation within the scope of the minimum energy efficiency standard for the domestic private rented sector.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Private Rented Sector (PRS) Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard regulations require rented properties that are legally required to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) to meet a minimum standard of EPC band E, except where an exemption applies. There are no blanket exemptions in the PRS regulations for Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) however, where rooms are let individually, there is currently no requirement for an EPC to be issued. Government launched a Call for Evidence on EPCs in July last year where we outlined suggestions for improvement. We welcomed views on whether a HMO without an EPC should be legally required to have one when a room in that property is marketed for rent. We are currently analysing EPC Call for Evidence responses and intend to publish a summary of responses to the Call for Evidence in due course.

Consumer Goods: Electrical Safety

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will bring forward legislative proposals (a) to improve and regulate qualifications for PAT testing and (b) to ensure those qualifications cannot be gained through online only courses.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Health and Safety Executive enforces the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. This legislation requires that any electrical equipment in the workplace has the potential to cause injury is maintained in a safe condition and anyone carrying out work on any electrical equipment to be competent for the work they are doing.

Domestic Appliances: Repairs and Maintenance

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will bring forward legislative proposals for the certification of electricians with a specialism in the repair of white goods and small appliances.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Health and Safety Executive enforces the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. This legislation requires that any electrical equipment in the workplace has the potential to cause injury is maintained in a safe condition and anyone carrying out work on any electrical equipment to be competent for the work they are doing.

Insolvency

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if she will make an assessment of the potential for pre-packaged administrations to be open to abuse as a way of passing on pension liabilities to the Pension Protection Fund.

Kelly Tolhurst: A pre-packaged sale in administration, whereby the sale of all or part of the business is arranged prior to the company entering formal insolvency and realised on or immediately after the appointment of the administrator, is a valuable business rescue tool. Pre-pack sales help to avoid a deterioration of the value of the company’s business between appointment of the administrator and sale, meaning there is more money available for creditors, including the pension scheme. In most cases where pre-packs are used, the only alternative would be the collapse of the business and the loss of all employees’ jobs. The government is aware of concerns about the transparency of pre-pack sales, particularly where a business is sold to a person connected with the old company. It is currently evaluating whether legislative measures are necessary to regulate pre-pack sales to a connected person, following a review of a package of voluntary industry measures implemented in 2015 to improve creditor confidence in pre-packs. As part of the review the government liaised with the Pension Protection Fund, which made clear in its response to concerns raised by the Chair of the Department of Work and Pensions Select Committee, that it does not fundamentally take issue with pre-packs but where there are concerns, these are referred to the Pensions Regulator for investigation.

Johnston Press: Insolvency

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if she will make an assessment of (a) the reasons for the collapse of Johnston Press and (b) whether additional powers for the Pension Regulator would help to safeguard pension funds and mitigate the potential financial loss to employees.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Johnston Press Group entered administration on 17 November 2018 and its business and assets were sold to a company owned by the Group’s bondholders (JPI Media Group) under a pre-pack arrangement. The government cannot comment on individual insolvency cases. However, the Pensions Regulator in its report of March 2019 found no evidence that the insolvency of Johnston Press was avoidable and had no reason to use its anti-avoidance powers. The government’s White Paper 2018 “Protecting Defined Benefit Pension Schemes” proposed a number of new measures to provide better protection for scheme members’ benefits, including giving the Pensions Regulator additional powers to enable it to be more proactive with tougher penalties to deter wrongdoing. A response to the consultation was published on 11 February 2019.

Minimum Wage

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress her Department has made on reviewing the National Minimum Wage Naming Scheme; and when she plans to resume naming employers under that scheme.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government is committed to taking tough action against employers who underpay the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage (NMW). Our budget for enforcement and compliance stands at a record high and last year HM Revenue and Customs issued a record £17 million in penalties to employers who broke the rules.We are in the process of concluding the evaluation of the NMW Naming Scheme. Any changes made to the Scheme will be made through an updated version of our published enforcement policy in due course, following which regular naming of employers who have breached NMW rules will resume.

Gratuities

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when she plans to (a) publish a response to the consultation on tips, gratuities, cover and service charges which closed on 27 June 2016 and (b) bring forward legislative proposals on service charges.

Kelly Tolhurst: Through the Good Work Plan we have committed to legislate on a range of areas to enhance workers’ rights, including to ensure that all tips left to workers go to them in full. We expect over a million workers to benefit, many of whom are in low-paid jobs. Consumers will have reassurance that the money they leave in good faith is going to the staff, as they intended. The Good Work Plan set out an ambitious programme to take forward the vast majority of the recommendations made in the Taylor Review. We have already implemented key commitments, through secondary legislation to increase workers’ rights and protections, and improve transparency for workers, from day one. We will bring forward further measures when Parliamentary time allows.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Housing: Standards

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the finding of the Royal Institute of British Architects report Space Standards for Homes that the level of administration and red tape involved when local authorities seek to adopt the Nationally Described Space Standard (NDSS) means that in many cases it takes several years to adopt, whether he plans to adopt RIBA’s recommendation that the NDSS should be universally applied through building regulations.

Esther McVey: Our National Planning Policy Framework https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-planning-policy-framework--2 asks local authorities to make use of the Nationally Described Space Standard, where the need for an internal space standard can be justified. Local authorities can apply the Nationally Described Space Standard. Local authorities can decide whether or not to apply this standard by taking local circumstances into account and ensuring the impact on viability and housing supply have been considered. The Department is considering how recommended sizes should best be applied.

Housing: Standards

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the finding of the Royal Institute of British Architects' report Space Standards for Homes that half of all new homes remain too small when measured against the minimum standards of the Nationally Described Space Standard.

Esther McVey: We know new homes are not getting smaller compared to the historical average – indeed recent statistics suggest new homes have steadily increased in size since 2008. Government wants to ensure that the Nationally Described Space Standard is working effectively to support government aims of delivering more, high quality new homes and we are considering how recommended sizes should best be applied.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the BRE Code for Sustainable Homes data that 107,000 homes have been built in England to the zero carbon homes standard, if he will include in the forthcoming review of Building Regulations a proposal to reinstate that standard from 2020.

Esther McVey: The recent UK Green Building Council report on new homes ( https://www.ukgbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Driving-sustainability-in-new-homes-UKGBC-resource-July-2018-v4.pdf ) stated that 107,000 homes have been built to the Code Level 4 standard. Code Level 4 represents a 19 per cent uplift on current Part L energy efficiency standards across the build mix.We have noted these findings and are preparing to consult on options to deliver the government’s ambitious commitments for future housing. In the Government’s Clean Growth Strategy, we committed to reviewing the Part L standards, including consulting on improving energy efficiency requirements in new and existing buildings where the evidence suggests it is cost effective, affordable, practical and safe to do so. In the Spring Statement, government committed to introduce a Future Homes Standard by 2025 for new build homes to be future-proofed with low carbon heating and world-leading levels of energy efficiency, to create healthy homes that are fit for the future, have low energy bills, and are better for the environment.

Private Rented Housing: Electrical Safety

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to define the standard of competency required for landlords meeting their electrical safety obligation to tenants.

Esther McVey: The Government is introducing a new requirement for electrical safety inspections to be conducted by a competent person at least every 5 years in all privately rented properties. The Government will produce guidance for landlords employing inspectors and testers to carry out the inspections. This will set out how landlords should determine the correct level of qualification and competence required to undertake the work of inspecting electrical installations in privately rented housing.

High Rise Flats: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the of Answer 23 July 2019 to Question 279062 on Buildings: Insulation, if he will publish the full test report for the test which was planned to take place in June 2019 but which was aborted due to procedural issues.

Esther McVey: The Department published the results of the test meeting the requirements of BS 8414 at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-test-report-mhclg-bs-8414-hpl.Following the test the Independent Expert Panel issued some advice which is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/818184/Advice_note_on_use_of_HPL_panels_in_external_wall_systems.pdf.The attempted test did not comply with these procedural requirements and no advice could have been issued on the basis of the attempt. The Department has currently no plan to publish the report of that incomplete attempt.In addition, acting on advice from the Independent Expert Advisory Panel, the Government has commissioned research to support further understanding of the fire performance of non-Aluminium Composite Materials (ACM) external wall systems. The tests began on 30 April 2019 and we expect to be able to publish the research findings in the autumn.

High Rise Flats: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the of Answer 23 July 2019 to Question 279062 on Buildings: Insulation, whether changes were made to the BS 8414 test on high pressure laminate cladding and stonewool insulation as a result of the test planned to take place in June 2019.

Esther McVey: The attempted test did not comply with the procedural requirements of BS 8414 and no advice could have been issued on the basis of the attempt. A complete test was carried out on 11 July 2019 using the same design details as the previous attempt.The Department published the test report and classification report of the test meeting the requirements of BS 8414 at the following https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-test-report-mhclg-bs-8414-hpl .Following the test the Independent Expert Panel issued some advice which is available at the following:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/818184/Advice_note_on_use_of_HPL_panels_in_external_wall_systems.pdf

Private Rented Housing: Pensioners

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2019 to Question 278349 on Private Rented Housing: Pensioners, what assessment he has made of the effect of the ban on letting fees on monthly rental prices.

Esther McVey: The Government published an impact assessment for the Tenant Fees Bill on 1 May 2018, which is available here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tenant-fees-bill-impact-assessment. The Tenant Fees Act came into force for new tenancies on 1 June 2019, with a transitional period until 1 June 2020 (at which point it will also apply to pre-existing tenancies).   The Government will continue to work with the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team and the wider sector to monitor the effects of the ban.

Local Government Pension Scheme: Yorkshire and the Humber

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many people are members of the Local Government Pension Scheme in (a) Barnsley, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) Yorkshire and Humber.

Luke Hall: In the Yorkshire and Humber area, the Local Government Pension Scheme is split into four funds - the North Yorkshire Pension Fund (administered by North Yorkshire County Council), the West Yorkshire Pension Fund (administered by the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council), the East Riding Pension Fund (administered by East Riding of Yorkshire Council) and the South Yorkshire Pension Fund (administered by the South Yorkshire Pensions Authority). According to data submitted to the Department for the 2017/18 scheme year, membership records for each are as follows: North Yorkshire Pension fundActive members (those in employment actively contributing to the scheme) – 31,194Pensioner members (those members receiving a pension from the scheme) – 20,476Deferred members (those members who are no longer active but are not yet receiving a pension) – 35,813Total membership – 87,483 West Yorkshire Pension FundActive members – 101,794Pensioner members – 84,833Deferred members – 97,583Total membership – 284,210 East Riding Pension FundActive members – 40,051Pensioner members – 29,650Deferred members – 43,228Total membership – 112,929 South Yorkshire Pension FundActive members - 52,412Pensioner members - 51,041Deferred members - 53, 428Total membership – 156,881 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council (MBC) is a participating employer in the South Yorkshire Pension Fund and its membership numbers will be included in the above figures. However, pension fund data submitted to the Department is not broken down by individual participating employers and we therefore do not hold membership data for Barnsley MBC itself.

Local Government Pension Scheme

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on members of the local government pension scheme of changing local fund valuations from a triennial to a quadrennial cycle by (a) region and (b) local authority.

Luke Hall: Members’ benefits are set out separately in the Local Government Pension Scheme regulations and will not be affected by the change in the frequency of local fund valuations.

Local Government Pension Scheme

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to publish the results of his Department's consultation on changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme.

Luke Hall: The Department's consultation "Fair Deal – Strengthening pension protection" proposed strengthening the pensions protections that apply when workers are contracted out from their Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) employer. With some exceptions, we proposed that members should have a continued right to membership of the LGPS, in line with central Government Fair Deal policy. We also proposed the introduction of a new way for outsourced staff to participate in the scheme – ‘deemed employer’ status. The consultation closed on 4 April and elicited detailed comments from a variety of stakeholders, which my officials are considering carefully. A formal response will be published in due course.

Local Government Pension Scheme

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has conducted a risk assessment of the proposed move from a triennial to a quadrennial cycle for local fund valuations of the Local Government Pension Scheme.

Luke Hall: The Government is determined that lengthening the period between valuation cycle should not materially increase the risks that pension funds and their employers face. That is why alongside the proposal in lengthen the valuation cycle we are also consulting on additional tools for administering authorities to be able to manage risk, and particularly employer risk, between valuations.

Unitary Councils: Lancashire

Graham P Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans the Government has for the formation of a Pennine Lancashire unitary authority.

Luke Hall: It is for those in the area to consider whether a Pennine Lancashire unitary authority would be the best way forward, as my Rt Hon Friend, the then Secretary of State, told the House on 22 July 2019 (HCWS1790). If the area requests that we formally invite councils to submit a proposal for such an authority, we would do so if that request demonstrates local opinion is coalescing around a single unitary option for the area, which would be likely to meet our publicly announced criteria for unitarisation.

Local Enterprise Partnerships: Ethnic Groups

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the level of BAME representation on Local Enterprise Partnership boards.

Jake Berry: Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) must be accountable to their area and representative of the communities they serve. The 2018 Government Review – Strengthening Local Enterprise Partnerships – set out what LEPs should themselves do to improve the diversity of Chairs and board members, both in terms of protected characteristics and also in drawing from a more diverse representation of sectors. Through the publication of the National Local Growth Assurance Framework we will hold LEPs to account for achieving that.

Housing: Fires

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to strengthen requirements for residential lifts for use by disabled people during a fire to include prevention of smoke inhalation.

Esther McVey: The Government published, on 18 December 2018, a call for evidence to form the basis for a technical review of Approved Document B (Fire Safety). Paragraphs 35 and 36 address means of escape for disabled people and paragraphs 38 to 41 address the issue of smoke and toxicity.The call for evidence closed on 15 March 2019. The Department is in the process of reviewing the evidence provided. My Department is also committed to reviewing Approved Document M (Access to and use of buildings) and a key objective is to ensure that these two projects deliver consistent and co-ordinated advice on this important matter.

Loneliness

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress has been made against the commitment set out in the Loneliness Strategy to work with local partners, through the Ageing Society Grand Challenge, on how to develop inclusive homes and communities that support people to remain healthy and independent for longer.

Esther McVey: Through the Ageing Society Grand Challenge, a £2.5 million competition has been developed. This will reward new ideas that lead to innovation in design and delivery of age friendly housing, that addresses the needs of an ageing population. A team led by the Building Research Establishment has recently been appointed to work with Government as the competition delivery partner and the competition itself is scheduled to be launched in late 2019.

Loneliness

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress has been made against the commitment set out in the Loneliness Strategy to include loneliness in measures of design quality, starting with Homes England and other Government programmes.

Esther McVey: We are working closely with Homes England to ensure design quality across Government programmes and there is ongoing work to establish how places can be designed to boost people's health and well-being, including tackling loneliness.For example, prospective garden communities were required to outline how they would achieve 10 design qualities in their proposals. These qualities help create places that support cohesive communities, and proposals were assessed against these criteria.

Loneliness

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress the Minister for Local Government has made in strengthening the Department's consideration of loneliness as a policy concern.

Esther McVey: MHCLG is a key member of the Inter-Ministerial Group on Loneliness and is part of the cross-government loneliness team ensuring that loneliness is being embedded into all areas of Departmental policy.The new Community Framework: ‘By deeds and their results: how we will strengthen our communities and nation’ https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/by-deeds-and-their-results-strengthening-our-communities-and-nation, published on 20 July, sets out how the government will work with local and national partners such as businesses, faith institutions, local authorities and volunteer groups to help build stronger, more empowered and integrated communities across England and will address many of the issues highlighted in the Government’s Loneliness strategy.

Hate Crime: Sikhs

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2019 to Question 277247, what funding his Department has allocated to help support hate crime reporting by the Sikh community in each of the last 10 years.

Luke Hall: Pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2019 to Question 277247, my Department has allocated £250,000 in total over 2016/17 and 2018/19 to the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC). £150,000 of this was to support work encouraging reporting from groups who are less likely to report hate crime. These groups included EU citizens, Hindus, Christians, and the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, as well as Sikhs.   In February, my Department organised a hate crime workshop for representatives from the Sikh community with contributions from across government, the police and criminal justice system. Outcomes included further engagement between the Sikh community and organisations including the NPCC, Crown Prosecution Service, Metropolitan Police and Department for Education.   My Department and the NPCC continue to work with the Sikh community and other groups who are less likely to report to raise awareness of hate crime and encourage reporting. This work forms part of our commitment to tackling faith and race based hate crime made in the refreshed Cross-Government Hate Crime Action Plan.

Building Regulations: Energy

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Clean Growth Strategy, published in October 2017, what plans he has to (a) further review and (b) consult on changes to energy efficiency standards in Building Regulations.

Esther McVey: The Government’s target is to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. In support of this, and as committed to in the Clean Growth Strategy, we will consult later this year on amendments to Part L of the Building Regulations, which provide a minimum standard for improvement. This will include setting out further details on our plans to implement a Future Homes Standard by 2025 for new homes to have low carbon heat and world leading levels of energy efficiency, to create homes fit for the future, with low energy bills and better for the environment.

Ministry of Defence

Navy: Persian Gulf

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the European-led maritime protection mission to be deployed in the strait of Hormuz will operate under the framework of the Common Security and Defence Policy.

Mark Lancaster: The UK, along with the US and other allies is now participating in an International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) under a new mandate to mitigate the immediate threat to maritime shipping in the Gulf. This is not part of the Common Security & Defence Policy Framework.The UK continues to be part of on-going conversations with international allies including European partners and the US on how best we can ensure maritime security in the Gulf and protect freedom of navigation.Freedom of navigation is in every nation's interest. It is unacceptable to illegally seize a ship going about legitimate business in an internationally-recognised shipping lane. The action we are taking is aimed at ensuring freedom of navigation is maintained.

Members: Correspondence

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when she plans to respond to the letter of 17 June from the hon. Member for Llanelli on Afghan interpreters.

Mr Ben Wallace: I responded to the hon. Member on 30 July 2019.

Navy

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the statement by the right hon. Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip of 23 July 2019 that the UK will build more ships, what plans her Department has to expand the Royal Navy.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Our Royal Navy will soon take delivery of their second aircraft carrier, HMS PRINCE OF WALES, completing the Queen Elizabeth Class. She will be ably supported by cutting edge F-35 fighter jets. We are investing in a full new generation of submarines and Type 26 frigates which will equip the Royal Navy with world leading capabilities to defend British and our allies' interests. We have already committed to building new Batch 2 Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) and, as announced on 22 November 2018, will retain the Batch 1 OPVs. In addition, the winning bidder for the Type 31 will be announced shortly. The Government has also committed to increase the number of personnel in the Royal Navy, and will spend £64.1 billion on procurement and support of ships and submarines over the next decade.

Armed Forces

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) regular (i) soldiers, (ii) sailors and (iii) airmen and (b) reserve (A) soldiers, (B) sailors and (C) airmen by medical category there were in each year since 2010.

Johnny Mercer: There are three Medical Deployability Standard (MDS) categories for the Armed Forces. Medically Fully Deployable (MFD) personnel are those medically fit for duty with no employment limitations. Medically Limited Deployable (MLD) personnel are medically fit for duty with minor employment limitations. MLD personnel may have a medical condition or functional limitation that prevents the meeting of all Medically Fully Deployable (MFD) requirements. Medically Not Deployable (MND) personnel are medically fit for duty with major employment limitations. MND personnel are not fit to deploy on operations but may be deployable on UK-based exercises.For the numbers of UK Regular Armed Forces and UK Future Reserves 2020 personnel in each MDS category in each year up to 2017, I refer the hon. Member to the answer the previous Minister for Defence People and Veterans (Tobias Ellwood), gave him on 8 November 2017, to Question 110876.The attached table provides the number and percentage of UK Regular Armed Forces in each MDS category, by Service as at 1 April 2018 and 1 April 2019. These figures include full-time trained and serving personnel against requirement. This was the deployable population.



Armed Forces
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Armed Forces
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Hercules Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what refitting and retrofitting has been performed on the 14 C-130J/C-130J-30 Hercules transport aircraft to allow OSD to be extended for a further five years.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: A number of activities are being undertaken to extend the out of service date of the RAF's C-130J/C-130J-30 fleet to 2035. Work commenced in March this year to replace the centre wing sections of the aircraft. In addition, work is scheduled to commence next year to replace the current steel brakes with carbon ones, and additional modifications will also be made to upgrade aircraft avionics systems.

Warrior Armoured Vehicle

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans her Department has to remove Armoured Infantry 2025 project to upgrade Warrior vehicles from the IPA's red classification.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The MOD has programmed a comprehensive response to the Infrastructure and Project Authority's red status of the delivery confidence for the Warrior capability sustainment programme. The status was first designated 20 months ago, and the Department expects the full impact of the changes that have since been made to the programme will be reflected in the IPA's next annual report. Improvements to the realism of scheduling have led to key programme milestones being met in the past year, such as live firing crew clearance and successful battlefield mission assessments.

Hercules Aircraft: Bangladesh

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment she has made of the UK's airlift capability since the sale of five UK-surplus Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules transport aircraft to Bangladesh.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The five aircraft sold to Bangladesh were surplus and awaiting disposal. Therefore, this sale has had no impact on the Air Transport fleet.We have retained 14 C-130J aircraft, and A400M also provides an Air Transport role.

Hercules Aircraft: Bangladesh

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what price the UK has attained for the sale of five UK-surplus Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules transport aircraft to Bangladesh.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: I am withholding details of the price of the C-130J Hercules aircraft sold to Bangladesh, as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.

Military Aircraft: Sweden

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans she has to collaborate with Sweden on combat air systems as a result of the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on that matter with that country on 18 July 2019.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The Memorandum of Understanding between the Governments allows for additional activities, including contracts, to be taken forward. The next steps include development of a joint acquisition road map, identifying technologies to spiral from Gripen and Typhoon onto an future combat air system, research and technology co-operation and further Government and industry studies, particularly on cost modelling. These steps will inform both Governments' decision-making process. For the UK, the next decision to be made is in quarter four of financial year 2020-21, following submission of the Outline Business Case.

Armed Forces: West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps she is taking to increase recruitment to the armed forces from communities in West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine.

Mark Lancaster: The Armed Forces recruit nationally and do not have a specific policy of increasing recruitment from particular areas. The geographic footprint of Armed Forces Career Offices across the UK is complemented by dedicated call centres and online recruiting operations, ensuring that members of rural or isolated communities have the same opportunity to join the Armed Forces as anyone else. In addition, the Services conduct outreach engagement programmes across the whole of the UK, delivering events such as career fairs, tactical campaigns and roadshows, supported by web-based information services and social media campaigns.

University Officer Training Corps: Aberdeen

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost was of running the University Officer Training Corps unit in Aberdeen in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost was of running the University Officer Training Corps unit in Birmingham in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost was of running the University Officer Training Corps unit in Bristol in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost was of running the University Officer Training Corps unit in Cambridge in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost was of running the University Officer Training Corps unit in Edinburgh in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost was of running the University Officer Training Corps unit in the East Midlands in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost of running the University Officer Training Corps unit in Exeter was in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost of running the University Officer Training Corps unit in Glasgow was in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost of running the University Officer Training Corps unit at the University of London was in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost of running the University Officer Training Corps unit in Northumbria was in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost of running the University Officer Training Corps unit in the North West was in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost of running the University Officer Training Corps unit in Oxford was in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost of running the University Officer Training Corps unit at Queen’s University Belfast was in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost of running the University Officer Training Corps unit in Southampton was in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost of running the Tayforth University Officer Training Corps unit was in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost of running the University Officer Training Corps unit in Wales was in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost of running the University Officer Training Corps unit in Yorkshire was in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Mark Lancaster: Due to a change in the way the Army holds information, the annual costs for each University Officer Training Corps (UOTCs) are only held centrally for the financial year 2017-18 and 2018-19.The information for the financial years prior to 2017 could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The information held is as follows: LocationRunning costsFY 2017-18FY 2018-19Aberdeen UOTC£1,849,000£1,825,000Birmingham UOTC£1,701,000£1,770,000Bristol UOTC£1,638,000£1,836,000Cambridge UOTC£1,899,000£1,864,000East Midlands UOTC£1,879,000£1,835,000Edinburgh UOTC£1,437,000£1,562,000Exeter UOTC£1,967,000£1,962,000Glasgow UOTC£1,720,000£1,652,000London UOTC£3,147,000£3,150,000North West OTR£1,749,000£1,681,000Northumbria UOTC£1,716,000£1,627,000Oxford UOTC£1,519,000£1,541,000Queen's UOTC£1,968,000£1,813,000Southampton UOTC£1,614,000£1,242,000Tayforth UOTC£1,617,000£1,742,000Wales UOTC£2,278,000£2,364,000Yorks OTR£2,385,000£1,661,000The figures have been rounded to the nearest £1,000.

Ministry of Defence: Equality

Gerald Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if she will place in the Library a copy of her Department's recent report entitled the TIN 2.101 Defence Inclusivity Phase 2: The Lived Experience: Final Report and its summary.

Johnny Mercer: The Lived Experience report was commissioned to provide management information to inform future policy and decision making. There is a well-defined publication plan which accompanies the report encompassing academic journals, conferences and international presentations.To publish the report would stop the Ministry of Defence benefiting from the analytical opportunities provided by peer review across different fora that these enable. I will place a copy of the report in the Library of The House when the publication plan is complete.

DSG Ashchurch: Asbestos

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment she has made of the presence of asbestos at Ashchurch military depot.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Testing has indicated the presence of asbestos contamination in a number of buildings at the Defence Equipment & Support Ashchurch site, resulting in some building closures as a precaution. Personnel working at the site have been informed.The programme of testing priority buildings is now complete and a number of buildings have been re-opened, allowing some operations to recommence. Testing of individual vehicles continues; this will inform the extent of cleaning required. A remediation programme has been developed to clean affected areas and initial measures have already been implemented. Contingency planning is in place to support defence activities.

Veterans

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding his Department has allocated and what research his Department has commissioned to measure the subjective well-being of returning veterans in each of the last 10 years.

Johnny Mercer: For personnel returning from conflict, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) continues to fund the large scale, ongoing independent study from the King's Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR), King's College London, which has become an important source of data on the impact of deployment on the overall health and wellbeing of military personnel and veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since 2003 MOD have contributed over £9 million to this study.A considerable number of research papers, relating to issues such as depression, alcohol abuse, and PTSD, can be accessed on the KCMHR area of the King's College London website at https://www1.kcl.ac.uk/kcmhr/pubdb/ This work continues to produce high quality evidence upon which we can make considered decisions about the way we manage and treat our personnel.

University Officer Training Corps: Aberdeen

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the membership of the University Officer Training Corps unit in Aberdeen was in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the membership of the University Officer Training Corps unit in Birmingham was in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the membership of the University Officer Training Corps unit in Bristol was in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the membership of the University Officer Training Corps unit in Cambridge was in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the membership of the University Officer Training Corps unit in Edinburgh was in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the membership of the University Officer Training Corps unit in the East Midlands was in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the membership of the University Officer Training Corps unit in Exeter was in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the membership of the University Officer Training Corps unit in Glasgow was in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the membership of the University Officer Training Corps unit at the University of London was in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the membership of the University Officer Training Corps unit in Northumbria was in each year between 2008 and 2018.

Mark Lancaster: The table below shows the number of University Officer Training Corps (UOTC) students by UOTC Location as at 1st April from 2008 to 2018. April 2008April 2009April 2010April 2011April 2012April 2013April 2014April 2015April 2016April 2017April 2018ABERDEEN UOTC180180130100130150180160210210210BIRMINGHAM UOTC200220180170200210220220210190140BRISTOL UOTC190210170180180200220230220220230CAMBRIDGE UOTC270240190240350450290280230240220CITY OF EDINBURGH UOTC260240200140120130180210170180190EAST MIDLANDS UOTC200180170170280340370360270210180EXETER UOTC220220170160180190230240230210190GLASGOW & STRATHCLYDE UOTC170190150150130130160180200170170LONDON UOTC470560380440370320370430500420370NORTHUMBRIAN UOTC240250290290320310280340330300240  Notes:Figures have been rounded to 10; numbers ending in "5" have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.Please note that the figures in the above table relate to UOTC Cadets only and exclude the Regular, Army Reserve and permanent staff.

Defence: Expenditure

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government remains committed to spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence as a NATO member.

Mark Lancaster: The UK remains committed to spending at least 2% of our GDP on Defence. NATO estimate that we will spend 2.13% of our GDP on Defence in 2019-20.

Scotland Office

Natural Gas and Oil: Scotland

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions his Department has had with representatives of the Scottish Government on future support for the oil and gas sector.

Mr Alister Jack: I expect to have regular discussions with the Scottish Government on a range of issues of relevance to Scotland, including discussions about the support that this Government has provided to the Oil and Gas Sector.

Scotland Office: Social Media

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, which social media advertising campaigns his Department ran in the last 12 months; and what audience targeting each of those campaigns used.

Mr Alister Jack: Between 1 August 2018 and 31 July 2019, the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland ran the following social media advertising campaigns: CampaignChannelAudience selection and targeting Delivering for ScotlandTwitterin ScotlandDevolution and public spendingTwitterin ScotlandScotland’s TradeTwitterin ScotlandDefence and SecurityTwitterin ScotlandBudget 2018Twitterin ScotlandBrexitTwitterin ScotlandCulture is GREATFacebook & Instagram16-65, 18-65, in ScotlandScotland’s TradeFacebook & Instagram16-24, 18-65, in Scotland, Women, Interests: business, entrepreneurship, small business, parentsBudget 2018Facebook & Instagram18-65, in ScotlandDevolution and public spendingFacebook & Instagram18-65, in ScotlandBrexitFacebook & Instagram18-65, in ScotlandDefence and SecurityFacebook & Instagram18-65, in ScotlandDelivering for ScotlandFacebook & Instagram18-65, in ScotlandAyrshire Growth DealFacebook & Instagram18-65, AyrBorderlands Growth DealFacebook & Instagram16-65, Biggar, Cumnock, Dumfries, Dunbar, Eyemouth, Gorebridge, Haddington, Hawick, Kelso, Lanark, Langholm, Lauder, Newton Stewart, Peebles, Penicuik, Selkirk, Stranraer, West CalderDelivering for ScotlandLinkedINAcross ScotlandDevolution and public spendingLinkedINAcross Scotland

Department for International Trade

Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the 20 June 2019 Court of Appeal judgment on arms sales to Saudi Arabia, how many (a) standard individual export licences, (b) open individual and (c) open general export licences his Department is reviewing.

Graham Stuart: Further to the judgment of 20 June 2019, the Government is carefully considering the implications of the judgment for licensing, including extant licences. The Government is considering the design of the process for licensing to ensure compliance with the judgment, as well as determining which extant licences are in scope. While this is taking place, the Government will not grant any new licences for export to Saudi Arabia or its coalition partners for items that might be used in Yemen.

Exports

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of his Department's Export Toolkit; and how much funding he has allocated to the (a) promotion and (b) printing and distribution of that toolkit.

Conor Burns: It is estimated that the cost of the Exporting Toolkit for Members of Parliament is £1,201. Total promotion costs were £121. Printing and distribution costs are not yet available, but are estimated at approximately £1050 and £30 respectively. The Exporting Toolkit has been sent to all Members of Parliament. Those interested in working with the Exporting is GREAT campaign and the Department for International Trade can use the toolkit to help businesses in their constituency take advantage of exporting opportunities.

Offshore Industry: Investment

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to encourage investment in the oil and gas industry in the (a) UK and (b) north east of Scotland.

Graham Stuart: The Government is committed to encouraging investment in the oil and gas industry across the whole of the UK, building on previous incentives such as tax reduction and funding support.It awarded the Oil & Gas Authority a £5 million fund for 2018/19 to survey under-explored areas of the UK Continental Shelf to find potential new deposits. The successful award of licences for the UK’s Frontier 31st Offshore Licensing Round announced in June was supported by data from the Government-Funded Seismic Programme.The Oil & Gas Technology Centre, backed by both the UK and Scottish governments, today has more than £100 million co-invested with industry to develop and deploy technology, helping anchor the industry’s expert engineering supply chain in the North East. In May, the government backed industry plans for a Global Underwater Engineering Hub in Aberdeen to reinforce the UK’s status as a global leader in the field and build on expertise in subsea robotics, remotely-operated underwater vehicles and maritime support vessels. This will strengthen Aberdeen’s place as an energy hub for offshore and renewables, boosting prospects for new skilled jobs and further investment in the region.

Department for International Trade: Newspaper Press

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much his Department has spent on purchasing (a) national newspapers and (b) newspaper online subscriptions since 2016; and how many copies of each national newspaper were purchased in that time period.

Conor Burns: Since 2016, the Department’s Media team has spent £11,545 on national newspapers and £22,981 on newspaper online subscriptions. Other areas of the Department may purchase national newspapers but this is not recorded centrally.

Trade Agreements

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many trade deals her Department is aiming to complete before 31 October 2019.

Conor Burns: The Government is committed to leaving the EU on 31st October and is seeking a new deal with the EU. At this late stage, we believe that it is still possible for the UK to leave the EU with a deal and will work to make this happen. We have been making preparations in the event we choose to leave the EU without a deal. To date, the UK has signed or agreed in principle agreements with countries that account for 64% of the UK’s trade with all the countries with which the UK is seeking continuity in the event of a potential No Deal. That has moved from 28% since March. We continue to work intensively on remaining agreements to minimise disruption as far as possible. A regularly updated list of agreements signed is available on GOV.UK and alongside a list of remaining agreements: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/existing-trade-agreements-if-the-uk-leaves-the-eu-without-a-deal/existing-trade-agreements-if-the-uk-leaves-the-eu-without-a-deal

Ceramics: China

Gareth Snell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps the Government plans to take to ensure that the EU’s anti-dumping tariffs against ceramic tableware from China will be maintained if the UK leaves the EU without a deal before the EU has concluded its anti-circumvention case in December.

Conor Burns: The Government has committed to transition the current EU measures on tableware and kitchenware, once the UK begins operating an independent trade policy. We have also been clear that any ongoing investigations, including the current circumvention review, that have not resulted in a definitive measure by that time will not be transitioned. Industry will be able to apply to the Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate for a circumvention review.

Department for Transport

High Speed Two: Redundancy Pay

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of settlement agreements entered into by HS2 Ltd with former staff included non-disclosure provisions.

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many compromise agreements entered into by HS2 Ltd with former staff included non-disclosure provisions.

Paul Maynard: As of the end of August, a total of 48 former staff have signed Settlement Agreements with HS2 Ltd. The Settlement Agreements that have been signed all contain mutual confidentiality obligations which protect personal information such as what monies are owed. These obligations do not apply where information is required to be disclosed by law or where a protected disclosure is made by the employee under whistleblowing legislation. It should be noted that no former employee of HS2 Ltd has raised any such protected disclosure. Before any Settlement Agreement is signed by HS2 Ltd and the employee, a certificate from an independent legal adviser must be provided, evidencing that legal advice has been given to the employee as to the effect of the terms of the Agreement. This process can lead to requests for changes to the template Agreement, which HS2 Ltd accepts where feasible. As noted in the response to PQ 281612 and PQ 281613, HS2 Ltd has not entered into any Non-Disclosure Agreements with any HS2 employee.

High Speed Two: Redundancy Pay

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total cost of redundancy payments to former HS2 Ltd staff is.

Paul Maynard: HS2 publish Annual Reports and Accounts which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hs2-annual-reports-and-accounts The Annual Reports and Accounts provide details about the cost of redundancy payments in each year since HS2 Ltd was established.

High Speed Two: Redundancy Pay

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, under what authorised scheme redundancy payments were made to former HS2 Ltd staff.

Paul Maynard: HS2 Ltd has authorisation to offer redundancies on statutory terms.

Taxis: Regulation

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals on the regulatory reform of the taxi and private hire industry.

George Freeman: The Government will bring forward legislation in line with the commitments made in the response to the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing when time allows. We encourage licensing authorities to make full use of their extensive existing powers to protect passengers.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Disclosure of Information

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of instances where a driver’s details have been released to a controlled third party by the DVLA in each year since 2010.

George Freeman: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency routinely publishes information online on who it shares data with and the number of enquiries made. This is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/who-dvla-shares-data-with The data is available from April 2015 and is updated every three months. Information from before April 2015 could only be provided at disproportionate cost as a scan of the relevant databases would be required to gather historic data. The DVLA complies with all applicable data protection laws when processing personal information.

East Coast Railway Line

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on how many occasions there was significant disruption to East Coast Main Line services as a result of damage to overhead wires in each of the last 12 months.

Chris Heaton-Harris: In the 12 month period up to 20 July 2019 there were 17 occasions on which damage to the overhead wires on the East Coast Main Line caused more than 500 minutes of delay; 8 of these incidents caused more than 1,000 minutes of delay.

East Coast Railway Line

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions his Department has held with Network Rail on future priorities for investment in the East Coast Main Line for Control Period 7 (CP7) 2024–2029.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Government has announced Control Period 6 investment of up to £780m in the East Coast Main Line (ECML), which demonstrates Government’s commitment to the ECML. The Department is working with stakeholders, including Transport for the North, to identify and assess further potential enhancements for the East Coast Main Line. We will take staged decisions to progress further enhancements through the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline process.

East Coast Railway Line

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what enhancement projects on the East Coast Main Line have been identified to progress through the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline process.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Government is committed to transparent policy making and intends to make clear public statements as we take investment decisions on enhancements.In due course we will be publishing details of schemes which have received a strategic outline business case. Additionally, Network Rail will continue to provide updates on the progress of enhancements, through the quarterly publication of its Enhancements Delivery Plan. This can be found at https://cdn.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/CP6-Enhancements-Delivery-Plan_June-2019.pdf

Cycling: Per Capita Costs

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much per capita funding has been allocated from the public purse to cycling in each local authority in each of the last three years.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Department estimates that over the three years from 2016/17 to 2018/19, a total of around £1.2 billion of funding has been invested in cycling and walking projects in England outside London. This equates to approximately £8.50 per capita per annum, but the amount varies considerably between individual local authorities. The Department will be publishing detailed information on the funding that has been provided from the public purse, including estimates of funding allocations to individual authorities, alongside its report to Parliament later this year on the delivery of the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy. Funding for cycling and walking comes from a wide variety of ring-fenced and non-ringfenced sources making it difficult to summarise the information concisely for each local authority. Ring-fenced funds that were available to some or all local authorities over the three years in question include the Bikeability programme, the Access Fund, the Cycle Ambition Cities fund, the Cycle Safety Fund, Cycle Rail grants, and Highways England Designated Funds. Non-ringfenced funds that were available to some or all local authorities over the same period, and of which of a proportion was used to support cycling and walking, include the Local Growth Fund, the Integrated Transport Block, the Highways Maintenance Fund, the National Air Quality Plan, the National Productivity Investment Fund, the Highways Maintenance Challenge Fund, and other cross-Government infrastructure funds, including the Transforming Cities Fund and Housing Infrastructure Fund.

High Speed Two: Redundancy

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff HS2 Limited made redundant in (a) 2015, (b) 2016, (c) 2017, (d) 2018 and (e) 2019.

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff made redundant by HS2 Limited in (a) 2015, (b) 2016, (c) 2017, (d) 2018 and (e) 2019 had non-disclosure requirements included in their redundancy settlements.

Paul Maynard: Between 1 April 2015 to end of August 2019, HS2 Ltd have made a number of organisational changes (including the relocation of HS2 Ltd’s head office to Birmingham). These changes have resulted in a total 115 redundancies – details of which are published in each years’ Annual Report and Accounts. The details of how many people and the costs by financial year are published in HS2 Ltd’s annual report and accounts.Of the 115 made redundant no one from HS2 Ltd has entered into a Non-Disclosure agreement. However, 31 of these individuals have entered into Settlement Agreements which contain mutual confidentiality obligations to protect individuals’ personal information such as what monies are owed. These obligations do not apply where information is required to be disclosed by law or where a protected disclosure is made by the employee under whistleblowing legislation. It should be noted that no one made redundant from HS2 Ltd has raised any such protected disclosure.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many section 16 orders were issued by HS2 Ltd in (a) 2015, (b) 2016, (c) 2017, (d) 2018 and (e) 2019.

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost has been of the use of section 16 by HS2 Ltd in (a) 2015, (b) 2016, (c) 2017, (d) 2018 and (e) 2019.

Paul Maynard: The Department is unaware of section 16 orders in relation to HS2.

Skipton-Colne Railway Line

Graham P Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government supports the reinstatement of the rail link between Skipton and Colne.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Local stakeholders have championed the reinstatement of the Colne-Skipton railway line and work is currently progressing to assess the proposed scheme and determine if it can be made affordable, will attract sufficient traffic, and is part of the right long-term solution for trans-Pennine rail traffic. We expect to receive the results later this year to inform a decision as to whether the scheme should progress to the ‘develop’ stage of the Government’s Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline. This is part of our new approach to rail enhancements to ensure we address the needs of passengers and freight, and that funding commitments appropriately reflect the stage of development of schemes.

Transport for the North: Finance

Graham P Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to allocate additional funding to Transport for the North to implement the One North Strategic Transport Plan ahead of schedule.

George Freeman: The Government welcomed the launch of the Strategic Transport Plan and we are engaging with TfN as they seek to sequence and prioritise the projects contained within it. We are already investing over £13bn in improving transport in the North – more than any Government in history. The current spending review period will end in 2020/21. Longer-term investment and funding decisions will be taken in due course.

M65

Graham P Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to work with Transport for the North to expand the M65 to Bradford and Leeds.

George Freeman: The Department announced in March 2019 that Highways England would work with Transport for the North on a study looking at options for improving road links between the M65 and north and west Yorkshire. The output of this study will inform consideration of the case for future investment.

Cycleways: Construction

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to support the construction of new cycle lanes that are separate from roads.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Local highways authorities are responsible for decisions on cycle lanes in their areas, including on whether or not these should be segregated from other road traffic. The Department is currently in the process of updating its guidance note to local authorities on Cycle Infrastructure Design, which includes advice on where and when different forms of segregation might be appropriate, and the updated guidance will be published in due course.

Cycling

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to reduce urban traffic speeds to encourage more cyclists to cycle on roads.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Department has no plans to change national speed limits. Local traffic authorities are responsible for setting speed limits on local roads and for targeting their funding on measures that are most effective in ensuring that their roads become safer. To assist with this, the Department published guidance to local highway authorities on setting speed limits in 2013, and furthermore last year published an evaluation into the effectiveness of 20mph speed limits. The 2016 update to the TSRGD (Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions) also made significant changes to facilitate and reduce the cost of providing 20 mph zones in England, allowing traffic authorities to place repeater speed signs and/or speed roundel road markings as well as traffic calming features. In April 2017 the Government published its first statutory Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, setting out its ambition to make cycling and walking the natural choice for shorter journeys. And in July 2019, the Government published the Road Safety Statement 2019: a lifetime of road safety. This includes a two-year action plan to address a range of road safety issues which will improve safety for cyclists.

Roads: Carbon Emissions

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the amount of CO2 produced in the production and maintenance of roads; and what assessment he has made of options for reducing those emissions through the use of more environmentally-friendly materials.

George Freeman: Management and maintenance of the Strategic Road Network is the responsibility of Highways England. The Annual Assessment of Highways England Performance 2019 report, published by the Office and Rail and Road (ORR) on 18 July, gives a total figure of 72,302 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents in 2018/19. The Department does not hold this level of information for the local roads network, which is the responsibility of local highway authorities. The Government is committed to exploring innovative ideas and processes for more environmentally friendly ways of constructing, repairing and maintaining road surfaces. The Department announced in January 2019 a £23m programme of innovation trials with the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT) and commercial partners. The programme includes £1.6 million being provided to Cumbria County Council to extend a trial for the selection and testing of recycled plastic in surfacing and structural treatments on the local road network. This trial will assess the suitability and durability of the plastics additives from minor patching work and pothole repairs through to major resurfacing. In addition, Highways England are also trialling the use of recycled material from tyres in the asphalt mix on the southbound M1 between junctions 23 and 22 near Leicester. Technological innovation in road maintenance processes can also improve efficiency and reduce waste by recycling existing road material. Highways England is taking such an approach in reconstructing a 10-mile stretch of the A1(M) southbound carriageway between Leeming and the Ripon interchange.

Railways: Disability

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to ensure that a reliable service is operated across the rail network after the provisions on persons with reduced mobility included in the Railways (Interoperability) Regulations 2011 and the Rail Vehicle Accessibility (Non-Interoperable Rail Systems) regulations 2010 are implemented in 2020.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: There is not expected to be any change to reliability of services due to improvements to accessibility of trains. Indeed the modern trains which are transforming journey’s for all passengers on our network today are fully accessible and reliable.

Railways: Greater Manchester

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to increase the reliability and capacity of trains through the Castlefield corridor; and what the timetable is for building platforms 15 and 16 at Manchester Piccadilly station.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Department has commissioned railway expert Richard George to work with the operators and Network Rail to develop and support initiatives that aim to improve capacity and performance of the Castlefield Corridor.Network Rail have undertaken an interim review on capacity improvements for the infrastructure. This report is currently being considered by the Department, and will then consider the next steps.Network Rail applied for a Transport and Works Act Order for the Manchester Piccadilly and Oxford Road Capacity Enhancement scheme. This is a legal process which the Department is currently considering, and so at this time there is no timetable for building platforms 15 and 16 at Manchester Piccadilly station.

Rolling Stock

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his timetable is for the withdrawal of Sprinter trains from service.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Department does not have a timetable for the removal of “Sprinter” trains from the network. Rolling stock owners are best placed to determine the economic life of their assets and whether they continue to meet the expectations of passengers.

Rolling Stock: Fossil Fuels

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to remove fossil fuel-powered rolling stock from UK railways by 2040.

Chris Heaton-Harris: In February 2018 the Government challenged the industry to produce a vision for how all diesel-only trains could be removed from the rail network by 2040. In response, an industry taskforce, led by Malcom Brown, has identified technologies that can be used to decarbonise rail: electrification and both hydrogen and battery power. We are working with Network Rail to develop a decarbonisation strategy for the rail network to ensure that rail makes its contribution to achieving the Government’s target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Electric Vehicles: West Midlands

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Road to Zero policy, how many of the publicly accessible charge points are in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Birmingham.

George Freeman: Government funding and leadership, alongside private sector investment, has supported the installation of more than 20,000 public chargepoints. This includes over 2,000 rapid chargepoints – one of the largest networks in Europe. Our grant schemes and our £400m public-private Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund will see thousands more electric vehicle chargepoints installed across the UK. The majority of public chargepoints are funded privately and Government does not keep a record of their numbers. Through the On-street Residential chargepoint Scheme (ORCS), the Government has provided grant funding for 90 chargepoints in the Coventry area in the West Midlands, with 78 installed so far. Birmingham has not yet applied for any ORCS funding. The ORCS remains open for applications from Local Authorities with funding doubled for this financial year. Zap-Map (https://www.zap-map.com/) can show where all public chargepoints in the West Midlands and Birmingham area are, as well as across the whole of the UK. As of 18 July 2019, Zap-Map data reported the number of publicly accessible charge points in the West Midlands as 764 and in Birmingham as 89.

Clean Air Zones: Birmingham

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions his Department has had with Birmingham City Council on the timescale for the introduction of the clean air zone.

George Freeman: Work is underway to develop key components of the system to support charging Clean Air Zones for early 2020. We are working closely with Birmingham City Council, one of the first local authorities to bring in charging Clean Air Zones, to develop and implement the system in the shortest possible time. Our priority is to introduce a reliable and consistent service as soon as possible and practicable. We will continue to work with Birmingham City Council on the detailed timetable for introducing the service.

Electric Vehicles: West Midlands

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of cars registered in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Birmingham are electric cars.

George Freeman: The information requested is provided in the following table.Geographic AreaTotal battery electric1 cars registered as at end-March 2019% of all cars registered that are battery electric1 as at end-March 2019West Midlands Region5,5720.18%Birmingham City Council1,8930.29% Source: Department for Transport based on DVLA data 1 Battery electric vehicles refer to vehicles powered by electricity only. This does not include plug-in hybrid, hybrid, range-extended electric, or fuel cell electric vehicles.

Clean Air Zones

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to provide technological support for local authorities to help them collect payments from non-compliant vehicles that enter clean air zones.

George Freeman: We are working closely with local authorities, including Birmingham City Council, by developing key components of the system to support charging Clean Air Zones from early 2020. This will include providing local authorities with support to help them collect payments from non-compliant vehicles that enter clean air zones.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many schedule 16 orders to take temporary possession of land and property were issued by HS2 Ltd in (a) 2015, (b) 2016, (c) 2017, (d) 2018 and (e) 2019.

Paul Maynard: Up to August 2019, HS2 Ltd has served 2,119 such notices: (a) 0 notices were served in 2015; (b) 0 notices were served in 2016; (c) 343 notices were served over 66 locations in 2017; (d) 1022 notices were served over 141 locations in 2018; (e) 754 notices were served over 68 locations in 2019 (up to 01/08/19). Schedule 16 (S.16) of the High Speed Rail Act (London-West Midlands) Act 2017 provides the nominated undertaker (HS2 Ltd) with the ability to temporarily possess land required to deliver Phase One of the railway. As the Act received Royal Assent on 23 February 2017, HS2 Ltd had no powers to serve S.16 notices before this date.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Mauritania: Slavery

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Mauritania on tackling slavery in that country.

Dr Andrew Murrison: ​The UK is at the forefront of international efforts to eradicate modern slavery. While slavery is illegal in Mauritania, there are reports that it still exists. British officials continue to raise the issue with the Mauritanian Government, and we have committed £150 million of aid funding to tackling modern slavery globally.

Armenia: Genocide

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government plans to recognise the Ottoman Empire's killing of 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1917 as genocide.

Christopher Pincher: ​It is the policy of the British Government that recognition of genocide is a matter for judicial decision, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. While the terrible suffering cannot be forgotten and we must remember and honour the victims of the past, we continue to believe the United Kingdom's priority today should be to promote reconciliation between the peoples and Governments of Turkey and Armenia and to find a way for these two countries to face their joint history together.

Abd el-Rahman Shatawi

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on the recent shooting of the unarmed child, Abd el-Rahman Shatawi, in Kafr Qaddum; and what information he has received on that shooting.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Whilst we have not raised this specific case with the Israeli authorities, the Government is very concerned at the high numbers of Palestinian children killed and injured by Israel Defense Forces in the West Bank and Gaza. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have raised the issue of excessive use of force, including use of live ammunition, causing deaths and injuries to Palestinians in the West Bank with both the Office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories and the Israeli Ministry of Defense.

Yemen: Tankers

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the threat posed by the oil tanker anchored off the coast of Yemen to the environment.

Dr Andrew Murrison: ​We remain deeply concerned by the environmental threat posed by the decaying Safer oil tanker anchored off the cost of Yemen. We share the views of the UN and independent experts that an urgent assessment is needed on the vessel. We are urging the Houthis to facilitate UN access to the oil tanker to allow for the assessment to take place as soon as possible.

Iran: Foreign Relations

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to de-escalate tensions with Iran.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The UK remains in close contact with Iran and other international partners, including at Ministerial level, to find diplomatic solutions and to avoid provocative actions. The UK encourages positive engagement from all sides and will continue to work closely to de-escalate tensions.

Bangladesh: Rohingya

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Bangladeshi counterpart on the safety of Bhasan Char for Rohingya refugees.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The former Minister for Asia and the Pacific stressed to the Government of Bangladesh, most recently during his visit to Bangladesh in April 2019, that any relocation of refugees to Bhasan Char Island must be safe, dignified and in accordance with international humanitarian principles and standards.The UK fully supports the UN's position that full and detailed technical and protection assessments should be conducted of Bhasan Char before any relocation of Rohingya refugees are considered. We welcome the Government of Bangladesh's commitment to ensure any relocation is voluntary and are conducted in coordination with UN agencies.

Jerusalem: Demolition

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made representations to his Israeli counterpart on the demolition of Palestinian buildings in the Sur Baher neighbourhood in East Jerusalem; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Andrew Murrison: On 23 July, the UK alongside France, Germany and Spain, issued a statement condemning the demolition by Israel of Palestinian buildings in the district of Wadi al Hummus. On the same day, our Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) reiterated our concern at the UN Security Council Open Debate on the Middle East. In this specific case, the demolitions were particularly egregious as a number of the buildings were located in Areas A and B, under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority according to the Oslo Agreements. They set a dangerous precedent that directly jeopardises the two-state solution, which is why I raised our deep concern to the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 24 July.

Great Britain-China Centre: Finance

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much funding the Government has allocated to the Great Britain China Centre; and what the (a) terms and (b) objectives were for that funding.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Great Britian China Centre (GBCC) receives FCO grant-in-aid annually which covers the delivery of related projects. Most recently it delivered the 8th UK-China Young Leaders Roundtable in London in September 2018, with broad representation from young UK MPs, and the 5th UK-China Judicial Roundtable in Shanghai in October 2018. The GBCC continues to be a key partner for HMG in delivering rule of law reform in China. In 2018/19 it undertook project activity that will inform HMG's 'Rule of Law for Prosperity' programme in China, including the 3rd UK/China Rule of Law Roundtable in Hainan, China in November 2018. FCO funding also contributes to GBCC running costs (including salaries for 9 staff, rent of their office and other administration expenses).The FCO is represented on GBCC's Board, and through attendance at board meetings scrutinises GBCC's activities and receives regular updates on the impact and value for money of each year's grant. The GBCC produces Annual Reports and Accounts, which are signed off by the National Audit Office, and laid before Parliament. The GBCC is also required to be reviewed on a periodic basis, in accordance with Cabinet Office guidelines. The last Tailored Review concluded in April 2019 and found that the GBCC was well-run, represents good value-for-money for HMG, and makes a positive contribution to UK priorities in China.The amount of grant money given in the past five calendar years can be found in the table below. YearFunding2019-2020£500,0002018-2019£500,0002017-2018£470,0002016-2017£500,0002015-2016£250,000

Great Britain-China Centre

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many (a) discussions and (b) meetings there have been between Ministers of his Department and representatives of the Great Britain China Centre in the last five years.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We publish transparency returns which include details of all meetings between Foreign and Commonwealth Office ministers and the Great Britain China Centre on https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/minister-data.

Tibet: Human Rights

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has received on a referral of the Chinese Government to the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonisation  in relation to human rights abuses in Tibet.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We have not have received any representations on referrals of the Chinese Government to the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonisation in relation to human rights abuses in Tibet.

China: Prisoners

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Chinese Government on the alleged practice of forced organ harvesting in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: I have not had recent discussions with the Chinese Government on allegations of forced organ harvesting. However, the Prime Minister's Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion and Belief, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad, set out the Government's position in Parliament on 25 July. Lord Ahmad said,"I note the time and energy that the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China has dedicated to this issue. Officials have reviewed the evidence thoroughly. While the evidence is not incontrovertible, we take these allegations seriously and have consulted the World Health Organization and international partners. The evidence provided disturbing details about the mistreatment of Falun Gong practitioners, and raised worrying questions about China's transplant system. We continue to monitor all available evidence."

Organs

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the (a) forced harvesting of and (b) trade in human organs; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: In a Parliamentary debate, on 26 March, the former Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific undertook to consult the World Health Organization (WHO) and seek views on allegations of forced organ harvesting in China.Subsequently, officials met with the WHO in Geneva and Beijing in April and May. The WHO's view is that China is implementing an ethical, voluntary organ transplant system in accordance with international standards, though they do have concerns about overall transparency.

Yemen: Armed Conflict

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of including people and organisations in breach of international law in Yemen in the UN Secretary General's 2020 report on Children and Armed Conflict.

Dr Andrew Murrison: ​We are firmly committed to protecting all children affected by armed conflict, including ending the recruitment and use of child soldiers.The UK is an active member of the UN Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), which leads the international response to the issue of child soldiers and child protection. This includes pressing those parties to conflicts listed in the UN Secretary-General's annual report on CAAC, including Yemen, to enter into concrete action plans with the UN to verify and release child soldiers.

Organs

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on tackling the illegal trade in human organs; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: I have not had recent discussions with the Chinese Government on allegations of forced organ harvesting. However, the Prime Minister's Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion and Belief, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad, set out the Government's position in Parliament on 25 July. Lord Ahmad said,"I note the time and energy that the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China has dedicated to this issue. Officials have reviewed the evidence thoroughly. While the evidence is not incontrovertible, we take these allegations seriously and have consulted the World Health Organization and international partners. The evidence provided disturbing details about the mistreatment of Falun Gong practitioners, and raised worrying questions about China's transplant system. We continue to monitor all available evidence."

Iran: Tankers

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his oral contribution of 22 July 2019, column 1121, on the situation in the Gulf, on what date the US Authorities first communicated with the UK Government on the detention of the Grace 1 Iranian oil tanker by the Gibraltarian authorities.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The US are a close ally and we engage with them routinely on matters of national security. However this was a Gibraltar-led operation which the UK was asked to support in upholding what is a European sanctions regime. We are part of ongoing conversations with the US, with whom we have extensive cooperation on maritime security, and have had for years.

Burma: Rohingya

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the claims in the July 2019 report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute entitled Mapping Conditions in Rakhine State that (a) minimal preparations have been made for any return of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh, (b) 320 of the settlements damaged or destroyed during the genocide of 2017 show no signs of reconstruction, (c) 58 remaining settlements were damaged or destroyed after the crisis during 2018 and (d) six suspected military facilities have been built on the sites of destroyed settlements.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: ​We are aware of the findings of the report published in July 2019 by Australian Strategic Policy Institute. To the best of our knowledge, we agree that destroyed settlements have not been rebuilt. While there may have been some minimal reconstruction, it is not on the original sites. We are also aware of the Myanmar military's use of land previously occupied by the Rohingya. We support the view that conditions on the ground are not yet in place to support repatriation of refugees in Rakhine. We are clear that safe and sustainable returns will not be possible until conditions in Rakhine are significantly improved. It is essential that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is given unfettered access to assess conditions.

Armed Conflict

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of updating his Department's Protection of Civilians in Conflict strategy.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Government is reviewing its strategy on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict. By undertaking this review, in the 20th anniversary year of the first UN Security Council Resolution to focus on the Protection of Civilians, the Government will be able to ensure that its evolving approach reflects the changing international landscape and the complexity of many – often protracted – conflicts. The review also provides an opportunity for the Government to consider recent research by academics and NGOs in this important field. We aim to complete the review by the end of 2019.

Hong Kong: Politics and Government

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether it is his Department's policy to fulfil the UK's obligations under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: ​The British Government takes extremely seriously our longstanding duty to uphold the implementation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. It is a legally binding treaty, registered with the UN, and remains in force until 2047. We will continue to monitor closely events in Hong Kong, speaking publicly on issues of concern. We regularly raise our concerns directly with the Chinese and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Governments. The Foreign Secretary raised Hong Kong, and the importance of the Joint Declaration, with Chinese State Councillor Wang Yi on 31 July. He also spoke to Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam on 9 August, when he noted our support for Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy, and our commitment to 'One Country, Two Systems'.

Sudan: Politics and Government

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made in negotiations to find a peaceful outcome to the situation in Sudan; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stephenson: The UK welcomes the Constitutional Declaration agreed by the Transitional Military Council and the Forces of Freedom and Change in Sudan, which sets out the plan for transition to civilian-led government. We congratulate Dr. Abdalla Hamdok on his appointment as Prime Minister of Sudan and commend his commitment to freedom, peace and justice. The UK also commends the role of the African Union and Ethiopia in their efforts to support the mediation that has helped to deliver this agreement. We will support the newly-appointed civilian-led government and will continue to engage all sides and international partners to help deliver a coordinated international response and package of practical support that maintains pressure on delivering the transition agreement as well as long-term political and economic reform.

Israel: Palestinians

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on the demolition of Palestinian homes; and if he will bring the demolitions to the attention of (a) the Security Council and (b) the UN.

Dr Andrew Murrison: I raised our deep concerns over the continued demolitions by Israel of Palestinian homes to the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 24 July. The day before, our Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) had raised the demolitions in the district of Wadi al Hummus at the UN Security Council Open Debate on the Middle East, reiterating our concerns.​

Burma: Rohingya

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to (a) the Burmese Ambassador in London and (b) his counterpart in Myanmar on steps that the Government has taken to allow for the return of Rohingya refugees to safe and dignified conditions.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: Since August 2017, Ministers and senior officials have repeatedly made clear to the Government of Myanmar in Naypyidaw and its Ambassador in London that any relocation of refugees must be safe, voluntary, dignified and meet international humanitarian principles and standards. We agree with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees that the current conditions for such repatriation do not yet exist in Rakhine. There is ongoing fighting between the Myanmar military and ethnic Rakhine separatists, the Arakan Army. The UK is the second largest bilateral donor of aid in Myanmar, and the largest in Rakhine State where 600,000 Rohingya remain.

Venezuela: Politics and Government

Graham P Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to meet representatives of the Lima Group to discuss the political and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.

Christopher Pincher: On 4 February the former Minister for Europe and the Americas attended a Lima Group meeting in Ottawa at the invitation of the Canadian Foreign Minister. He addressed the meeting and spoke with several Lima Group colleagues including the Colombian, Brazilian and Chilean Foreign Ministers and the Peruvian Vice Foreign Minister. On 18 June, the former Foreign Secretary and the former Minister for Europe and the Americas met President Duque and Foreign Minister Holmes of Colombia, and discussed the situation in Venezuela and the impact on Colombia, the most impacted country in the region. On 5 August I spoke the Peruvian Foreign Minister, where they discussed the situation in Venezuela and its impact on the region. We continue to work closely with the Lima Group, the Organisation of American States, the United States and like-minded European and international partners to find a peaceful solution to the Venezuela crisis.

Yemen: Peace Negotiations

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support a negotiated peace settlement in Yemen.

Dr Andrew Murrison: ​Peace talks are the top priority – there can be no military solution to the conflict. A political settlement is the only way to bring long-term stability to Yemen and to address the humanitarian crisis. The Yemeni parties must engage constructively and in good faith to overcome obstacles and find a political solution to end the conflict.The UK has played a leading role in diplomatic efforts, including bringing together key international actors to try to find a peaceful solution. I met Yemeni, Saudi, Emirati and Omani representatives during my recent visit to the Gulf to press for continued commitment to the UN-led peace process. The UN Special Envoy is discussing the timing and location of the next round of talks with the parties. We urge the parties to co-operate with the Special Envoy in this and act in good faith to implement the agreements made in Stockholm.

Iran: Foreign Relations

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to (a) meet and (b) have discussions with representatives of the Iranian Government within the next week.

Dr Andrew Murrison: ​The UK remains in close contact with Iran, including at Ministerial level. The former Foreign Secretary spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif and agreed the importance of finding diplomatic solutions to de-escalating the current situation, while noting the importance of Gibraltar enforcing EU sanctions against Syria through its legal processes. I met with our senior Iranian Government representatives in Tehran in June.

Diplomatic Service

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the process for accrediting ambassadors to the UK.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office follows a process of reviewing each State's proposed appointee as Head of Mission to the United Kingdom in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR) 1961. The process is sufficiently robust and no recent appraisal of its adequacy has therefore been required.The appointment of Heads of Mission, both Ambassadors and High Commissioners, to the Court of St. James's is governed in international law by Article 4(1) of the VCDR. The Article requires that the sending State must ensure that agrément for the person it proposes to accredit as Head of Mission has been granted by the receiving State, before that person may be permitted to undertake the role.On the recommendation of the Secretary of State, Her Majesty The Queen gives formal approval of Head of Mission appointments.

Diplomatic Service: Human Rights

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to ensure that ambassadors to the UK prioritise human rights issues.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We respect the right of Foreign and Commonwealth Heads of Mission serving in the UK to pursue their own State's priorities in the same way that we expect British Heads of Mission overseas to be able to pursue the UK's priorities.Promoting and defending human rights is a fundamental part of the UK's foreign policy. Working with other countries, whether overseas or in the UK, is an essential element in meeting our human rights goals. Where the UK has concerns, we will engage both through our network of posts and with their representatives in the UK.

*No heading*

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Chinese counterpart on the political situation in Hong Kong.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Foreign Secretary discussed the importance of upholding the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ framework, which is set out in the Joint Declaration, with Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on 31 July.

*No heading*

Liz Twist: What progress has been made through international co-operation on tackling climate change.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: As the first G7 country to legislate for net zero by 2050, the UK is leading the world’s response to tackling the effects of climate change. That is why we are leading the resilience and adaption strand with Egypt at the upcoming Climate Change summit in New York. That is why we hope to host COP26 in Glasgow next year in partnership with Italy.

*No heading*

Stephen Twigg: What recent diplomatic steps he has taken to pursue a resolution to the conflict in Yemen.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The UK fully supports the UN-led peace process and the efforts of UN Special Envoy, Martin Griffiths. I visited the region last week in support of UN efforts to make political progress and alleviate the humanitarian situation. I met Yemeni, Saudi, Emirati and Oman representatives, including President Hadi and Martin Griffiths. I urged all parties to engage constructively with the Special Envoy in order to reach an enduring political settlement in Yemen. The UK also hosted a Yemen Quad on 22 June, where partners underlined their commitment to a comprehensive political solution. A further Quad will be held shortly.

*No heading*

Dr Caroline Johnson: What diplomatic steps he is taking to enhance UK soft power.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Portland Index lists the UK as the World’s No.1 soft power. To maintain and develop this position, we have committed to strengthening our diplomatic network, and providing financial support for, amongst others, the BBC World Service, British Council and Chevening Scholarships.

*No heading*

Stephen Kerr: What progress has been made on implementing the recommendations in the final report of the Bishop of Truro's Independent review for the Foreign Secretary of FCO support for persecuted Christians.

Andrew Stephenson: The Government has accepted all the recommendations of the Bishop of Truro’s report and work is underway to take them forward. We have established an implementation team, and have allocated £200,000 this year for research into concrete actions the UK can take in countries mentioned in the Report. My ministerial colleague, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, will oversee the recommendations’ implementation.

*No heading*

Mike Amesbury: What progress has been made through international co-operation on tackling climate change.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: As the first G7 country to legislate for net zero by 2050, the UK is leading the world’s response to tackling the effects of climate change. That is why we are leading the resilience and adaption strand with Egypt at the upcoming Climate Change summit in New York. That is why we hope to host COP26 in Glasgow next year in partnership with Italy.

*No heading*

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: What support his Department has offered to the Government of Ukraine in relation to that Government's democratic reforms.

Christopher Pincher: The United Kingdom is providing substantial assistance to strengthen Ukraine’s democracy and institutions as part of its reform programme. In July 2017, we hosted the inaugural Ukraine Reform Conference and have since participated in annual conferences including Toronto (2019). We are providing over £32 million of programme support, including at least £9.2m for reforms via the Good Governance Fund. The UK improved capacity of Central Election Commission training over 2,600 key electoral officials. In short we helped ensure that recent presidential and parliamentary elections were widely hailed as Ukraine’s freest and fairest to date. I look forward to my visit to Ukraine next week.

Department for International Development

Fossil Fuels: Development Aid

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the Green Finance Strategy: Transforming Finance for a Greener Future, published in July 2019, under what circumstances and using what criteria the Government will determine that Official Development Assistance spent on investment support for fossil fuels is in line with the Paris Agreement temperature goals and transition plans.

Zac Goldsmith: The Government is committed to achieving the Paris Agreement climate goals and is increasingly putting environment and climate at the heart of UK Aid. The majority of UK Official Development Assistance for energy either supports renewable energy, helps governments to improve sector policy and governance, or supports energy research. UK Aid has helped over 17 million people with improved access to clean energy. We do not provide direct assistance for coal-fired generation. For other fossil fuels our approach is to support their development where there is a clear developmental need and as part of a transition to low-carbon economies. In assessing new support, we will ensure that assistance does not undermine the ambition in a country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and that an appropriate carbon price is used in the appraisal of the programme.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to ensure that the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo does not disrupt the global response to tackling ebola.

Andrew Stephenson: The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the second largest in history and the first in a conflict zone. The response has been hampered by numerous attacks against health workers and health facilities. The UK strongly condemns such attacks, while commending the bravery of all the health workers working tirelessly to end the outbreak. The UK is working with the UN and other donors to ensure strengthened security in Ebola affected areas that protects both communities and frontline workers, while not undermining local trust in the response.

Department for International Development: Cost Effectiveness

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to his Department's Main Estimates memorandum for 2019-20, if he will publish an impact assessment of the efficiency savings made by his Department since 2015.

Andrew Stephenson: DFID has introduced tough reforms to deliver good value for money for UK taxpayers. DFID is on track to deliver almost £500m in efficiency savings by 2019-20, higher than the £400m target set in the 2015 Spending Review. The majority of these savings have been driven by more effective procurement practices. DFID’s Annual Procurement and Commercial Report, which was published in July 2019, outlines some of the steps taken to deliver value for money. These efficiency savings have been used to deliver further aid programming, meaning that DFID delivers the maximum impact for UK Aid, continues to lead the fight against global poverty and contribute toward the global goals.

Africa: Droughts

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian effect of the drought across the East and Horn of Africa; and what steps his Department is taking to support those at risk of food insecurity.

Andrew Stephenson: DFID is concerned by the impact of the drought in the East and Horn of Africa and has taken early action across the region to save lives. In Somalia, the UK is at the forefront of the humanitarian response delivering vital water, shelter, nutrition and food and supporting over one million people in the ongoing relief effort. In Ethiopia, DFID continues to support the Government of Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Programme that reaches 8 million chronically food insecure people in drought affected regions with conditional cash transfers. In Kenya, DFID supports the Government of Kenya’s Hunger Safety Net Programme, which also provides cash transfers to some of the poorest households reaching 720,000 people. DFID will continue to support communities and states in the east and Horn to build resilience to crises and shocks. We will continue to monitor the situation and press the international community to commit further support where it is needed. Our work on humanitarian early warning systems raises awareness of crises where food security is deteriorating, and we prioritise longer-term responses to support food security, including through agricultural programmes.

Yemen: Overseas Aid

Graham P Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans he has to meet his Yemeni counterpart to discuss how aid can reach people in need without being intercepted and captured by Houthi rebels.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The UK remains extremely concerned by constraints on humanitarian access within Yemen. We regularly raise obstructions to humanitarian access and aid distributions with all parties at the highest levels and call for compliance with the UN Security Council Resolution 2451. The Foreign Secretary discussed the issue of humanitarian access across Yemen with his Government of Yemen counterparts earlier this year, and on 17 July UK officials raised the issue with the Government of Yemen’s Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed in Riyadh. I discussed it during my visit in the Gulf region last week. The UK will continue to press this issue with senior Yemeni counterparts.

Developing Countries: Abortion

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the effect of the 2019 expansion of the US Government’s Protecting Life on Global Health Assistance policy on UK NGOs that also receive US Government health funding.

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to ensure that UK NGOs are protected from the 2019 expansion of the US Government’s Protecting Life on Global Health Assistance policy.

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how he will ensure that funding allocated to NGOs is not used to enforce the US government’s anti-abortion policies under the expanded Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance rule.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The UK government will continue to lead the world in our long-term support for comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and to help women and girls get the information and services they need to give them control over their own lives and bodies. This is essential to achieving the Global Goals. Following the reintroduction and expansion of the Mexico City Policy in January 2017, we have kept in close contact with partners including UK NGOs to ensure the policy does not compromise UK-supported evidence-based comprehensive SRHR programming. The full implications of the further expansion of the Mexico City Policy in May 2019 are still emerging and we are closely monitoring developments. DFID is considering the implications, including with our partners, civil society and other donors. The UK will continue to defend SRHR through our programmes and our voice on the world stage.

Department for Education

Schools: Buildings

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Loneliness Strategy, published in October 2018, what progress his Department has made on publishing guidance on schools maximising the use of their premises, as well as other forms of income generation that can be beneficial to the community.

Nick Gibb: The Department intends to publish guidance for schools on income generation in due course. The guidance will set out different types of income generation activities, including letting out premises, working with local businesses, selling goods and services and applying for grants.Our aim is to level the playing field between schools in their ability to generate income and help them build strong community links at the same time.

Schools: Mental Health Services

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the press release, National mental health programme between schools and NHS, published on 12 July 2019, what plans he has to ensure that the Link Programme of training for each school, college and alternative provision setting includes awareness of the links between mental health and speech, language and communication needs.

Nick Gibb: Over the next four years, the Link Programme will be offered to every school and college in England at a cost of £9.3 million, covering up to 22,000 schools and colleges. The programme is designed to improve communication and partnership between NHS mental health services and education professionals, so that more children and young people receive the help and support they need, and are referred to specialist services if necessary. The programme brings together education and mental health professions and when specific needs such as speech, language and communication are identified they can be matched or signposted to local services for support. Schools are required to identify and address the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) requirements of their pupils, and to use their best endeavours to make sure that those pupils receive the support they need. In 2018, we announced new contracts worth more than £25 million to help ensure children with SEND access excellent support, including those with speech, language and communication needs. This included £3.4 million for 2018-2020 to equip the school workforce to deliver high-quality teaching across all types of SEND.

Universities: Mental Health Services

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Office for Students has taken since its establishment to assess the adequacy of provision of mental health services and student support at universities.

Joseph Johnson: In our latest guidance to the Office for Students (OfS), we asked that it continue its work to support student experience, with a focus on wellbeing and mental health.Where a provider has significant gaps in outcomes between students with a declared mental health condition and their peers, the OfS require providers to set out an ambitious strategy to narrow these gaps and promote equality of opportunity, as part of their access and participation plans.The OfS also regulates at a sector level to share evidence and examples of effective and innovative practice. On 5 June 2019, the OfS announced the award of almost £6 million for 10 large-scale projects through a challenge competition, encouraging higher education providers to find new ways of combating student mental health issues. The OfS has commissioned a programme-level evaluation to gather what works most effectively and to disseminate learning across the sector.On 17 June 2019, the government announced a £1 million fund for a further OfS challenge competition to find innovative proposals that drive improvements in mental health support for higher education students.

Investors in People

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many organisations are Investors in People accredited.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: The information requested is not held centrally. Investors in People is responsible for awarding the Investors in People standard. Since 1 February 2017 this has been a Community Interest Company, which is not part of the government.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of Roots of Empathy classroom practices as a means of promoting social and emotional learning.

Nick Gibb: The Government has made no specific assessment of the Roots of Empathy programme. It is important that schools have the freedom to decide which programmes are most appropriate and best meet the needs of their pupils, drawing on an evidence base of effective practice.Good mental health and wellbeing, including the social and emotional development of children and young people, are a priority for the Government. The Department is committed through its education reforms to ensuring that all children, regardless of background, are prepared to succeed in adult life. Schools and colleges have an important role to play in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of their pupils, through ensuring a supportive school ethos which fosters a strong sense of community, and enables engagement and success by all.The Department is making relationships education compulsory for all primary pupils, relationships and sex education (RSE) compulsory for all secondary pupils and health education compulsory for all pupils in primary and secondary state-funded schools. The subjects are designed to foster positive, respectful relationships. In health education, there is a strong focus on mental wellbeing. The Department is putting in place a programme of support for schools as they introduce the new subjects, and this will include helping schools to identify evidence-based programmes and high quality teaching resources.

Teachers: Pay Settlements

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Written Statement of 22 July 2019, HCWS1766 on Teachers update, whether the £105 million is additional funding from the public purse.

Nick Gibb: The Government has accepted the School Teachers' Review Body’s recommendations in full to uplift the minima and maxima of all pay ranges and allowances by 2.75%. To help schools implement the teachers’ pay award, the Department for Education is investing an additional £105 million into the existing Teachers’ Pay Grant this financial year. This is on top of the £321 million funding that schools are receiving this year to implement the residual 2018/19 pay award.

Further Education

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2019 to Question 279134, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of setting up an independent body to run a student complaints scheme for (a) Level three and (b) Level two qualifications.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: Students with concerns about their education already have several options available to them.If a student studying at an Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) funded further education college, or other provider, has any general concerns they should first issue a formal written complaint to their college or provider. If the student remains dissatisfied after exhausting this process, they may contact the ESFA.The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) is the independent regulator of qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. Where the complaint relates to the awarding organisation, Ofqual recommends that students speak to their college or provider in the first instance, who will be able to advise on whether a complaint should be made to the relevant awarding organisation. Ofqual has its own complaints procedure for regulated awarding organisations and qualifications. It expects complainants to have pursued the relevant awarding organisation’s complaints procedure before going to Ofqual.

Apprentices: Degrees

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that degree apprenticeships support (a) social mobility and (b) lifelong learning among underrepresented groups.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: Apprenticeships benefit people of all ages and backgrounds, offering high quality on and off-the-job training. Level 6+ and degree apprenticeships offer people an alternative to full time university, as well as the opportunity to upskill or re-train throughout their lives. The Degree Apprenticeship Development Fund (DADF) aims to enable and encourage greater social mobility and widen participation. The DADF has supported 103 higher education (HE) providers and has resulted in 4,464 degree apprentice starts. The Office for Students has published an evaluation of the fund, which can be found at the following link: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/media/7cd79cd8-536f-49e5-a55f-ebd83b344b16/dadf-evaluation.pdf. HE providers, such as universities, can include degree apprenticeships in their Access and Participation Plans; these set out how they will support underrepresented groups and help individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds access and succeed in HE. The National Apprenticeship Service works with local partners to ensure that apprenticeships at all levels are available in disadvantaged areas.We are running an employer engagement campaign, ‘Opportunities through Apprenticeships’, working with partners in Portsmouth, Nottingham, South Tyneside and Torbay. It aims to support social mobility by creating opportunities for more apprentices from disadvantaged areas to undertake high value apprenticeships with higher earnings potential and progression, such as degree apprenticeships.

Universities: Apprentices

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department and the Education and Skills Funding Agency are taking to support universities to work closely with non-levy-paying small and medium-sized enterprises.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: The department and the Education and Skills Funding Agency continue to encourage universities to work with employers, including non-levy-paying small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).The Degree Apprenticeship Development Fund (DADF) has focussed on building collaborative projects between providers and employers; including non-levy-paying SMEs. DADF has funded additional engagement activities to better understand their needs. Birmingham City University, University of Greenwich and Aston University have actively engaged with SMEs as part of DADF-funded projects. Over the course of the next year, all employers will be able to control how they pay for their apprenticeship training and assess and recruit their apprentices via the apprenticeship service. This will allow non-levy paying SMEs to work closely with a greater number of high-quality training providers, including universities.

Children: Disadvantaged

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his Department's policies of the findings of the Children’s Commissioner’s 2019 childhood vulnerability report published in July 2019.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: We welcome this report and the level of analysis which contributes to our understanding of the barriers that some children face.Across the government, we are acting on mental health, taking forward the Timpson Review recommendations to make sure that excluded pupils still get the best opportunities in life. We are tackling the root causes of violent crime and making sure that children with special educational needs and disabilities get the support they need by investing £6.3 billion into the high needs budget this year alone.We also understand that local authority budgets are under pressure. This is why more money is going into the system: £410 million is being invested to help local authorities deliver social care. Core funding for schools and high needs is rising from almost £41 billion in 2017-18 to £43.5 billion this year. We are providing local authorities with access to £46.4 billion this year, including extra funding to support some of our most vulnerable groups.

Schools: Transport

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to provide free transport to and from schools for school pupils of compulsory education age; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: Local authorities have a statutory duty under Section 508B of the Education Act 1996 to make arrangements for free home to school travel for all eligible children. A child is eligible if they are of compulsory school age, attend their nearest suitable school and live beyond the statutory walking distance (2 miles for children under the age of 8 and 3 miles for children aged 8 and over). Children are also eligible if they cannot reasonably be expected to walk because of their special educational needs, disability or mobility problems, or because the route is unsafe. There are additional rights to free home to school transport for children who are entitled to free school meals or whose parents are in receipt of the maximum working tax credit.The Department provides statutory guidance for local authorities on meeting their home to school transport duties and is currently consulting on a revised version of this guidance. The consultation can be found at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/home-to-school-transport-and-admissions-team/home-to-school-travel-and-transport-statutory-guid/.

Schools: Staff

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of school staff members who are paid more than £150,000 a year.

Nick Gibb: There were 66 teachers recorded with a salary of over £150,000 in the November 2018 school workforce census; all were in head or executive headteacher grades.

Children's Rights

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress he has made on implementing the recommendations of the United Nations General Assembly of 17 December 2018 on the Rights of the Child; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: The government remains fully committed to protecting the Rights of the Child and to give due consideration to the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) when making policy and legislation. This was most recently re-iterated in a written ministerial statement for Universal Children’s Day on 20 November 2018 (HCWS1093), which can be accessed here: https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-11-20/HCWS1093/. In support of this, all civil servants have access to online children’s rights training and to a template for conducting a Childs Rights Impact Assessment. The UK will submit its next periodic report to the United Nations (UN) by 14 January 2022, reporting on ongoing government measures to implement the UNCRC in the UK. The UN General Assembly had a particular focus on gender equality in relation to the Rights of the Child and urged states to eliminate all forms of discrimination against girls, particularly regarding access to and participation in education. ‘Gender equality at every stage: a roadmap for change’, published 3 July 2019 by the former Minister for Women and Equalities (Penny Mordaunt), my right hon. Friend for Portsmouth North, sets out the government's plans to address the persistent gendered barriers people face at every stage of life. The roadmap highlights plans to invest in programmes to increase participation, particularly by girls, in science, technology, engineering and maths education, to publish research and implement tools to tackle poor body image and examines how to engage boys and men on gender issues. 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the UNCRC and the government is actively engaging with the UN to mark this important occasion and reflect on the work that we do to protect the rights of children in the UK and around the world.

Children: Day Care

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2019 to Question 278350 on Children: Day Care, what additional support his Department provides to low income households that require childcare during the summer holidays.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: In addition to the support that the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families (Nadhim Zahawi), my hon. Friend for Stratford-on-Avon referred to in the Answer of 23 July to Question 278350, my department’s Holiday Activities and Food programme is exploring ways to help disadvantaged children access free holiday club provision over the summer holidays, in 11 local authority areas, including Birmingham.This summer, we have awarded £9.1 million to 11 organisations to explore how the funding and coordination of free holiday club provision at a local level can help more disadvantaged children access provision for free, and support providers to improve their offer. With this money, around 50,000 disadvantaged children and their parents will be able to access free holiday club provision, including a healthy meal and enriching activities.The government provides a significant package of childcare support to parents and carers. All 3 and 4 year olds and the most disadvantaged 2 year olds are entitled to receive 15 hours a week of early education for 38 weeks a year. Since 2017, working parents of 3 year olds and 4 year olds have been able to access an additional 15 hours of early education a week, bringing their total to 30 hours a week. The 30 hours policy is worth up to £5,000 a year to families and, since its introduction, around 600,000 children have benefitted. Childcare providers can offer these entitlements stretched across the whole year so that they cover the school holidays.In addition, tax-free childcare was introduced in 2017 to support families with the costs of childcare for 0 to 12 year olds. For every £8 that parents pay into an online account, the government will pay £2 - up to a maximum contribution of £2,000 per child each year - for children aged up to 12. Working parents in receipt of Universal Credit can also claim back up to 85% of eligible childcare costs through Universal Credit for children up to the age of 16, subject to a monthly limit of £646 for one child or £1108 for 2 or more children. This will make sure that work pays for families on a low income.The government also recently announced an extra £2.5 million next year to help schools open up their facilities at weekends and over the holidays as part of the School Sport Action Plan.

Children: Day Care

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2019 to Question 278350 on Children: Day Care, what support is available for parents of a child with (a) special educational needs and (b) a disability whose childcare costs exceed £4,000 each year.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: Nationally, high needs funding for those with complex additional needs aged 0 – 25 has risen from £5 billion in 2013 to £6.3 billion this year. This includes an additional £250 million allocated in recognition of cost pressures being faced by local authorities.To support parents of children with special educational needs (SEN) or a disability with childcare, we have made 2-year-old children in receipt of Disability Living Allowance and/or an Education Health and Care plan eligible for the 15 hours entitlement.To further support children with special educational needs and disabilities we have:• introduced a Disability Access Fund worth £615 to settings that provide places for any 3 or 4-year olds who receive disability living allowance;• required local authorities to have a SEN Inclusion Fund to support early years providers to address the needs of individual children with SEN; and• introduced the Early Years National Funding Formula, which contains an additional needs element to take account of the number of children with additional needs in an area.

Children: Day Care

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2019 to Question 278350 on Children: Day Care, what support is available for parents of a child with (a) special educational needs and  (b) a disability who live in a local authority area which is unable to provide sufficient childcare to meet their needs during the school summer holidays.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families (Nadhim Zahawi), my hon. Friend for Stratford-on-Avon outlined in the response given to 278350, local authorities are required to secure sufficient childcare in their area, so far as is practicable, for working parents or parents who are studying or training for employment for children aged 0 to 14 (or up to 18 for disabled children).If a parent or carer has a concern about the availability of childcare provision in their area, they should contact their local authority directly in the first instance.

Children: Day Care

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his Department has made of the ability of local authorities to provide sufficient childcare to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities in their local authority areas.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: Local authorities are required to secure sufficient childcare in their area, so far as is practicable, for working parents, or parents who are studying or training for employment, for children aged 0-14 (or up to 18 for disabled children). They should report annually to elected members on how they are meeting their duty to secure sufficient childcare, and make this report available and accessible to parents.The duty on local authorities to secure sufficient places is described in Part B of 'Early education and childcare' (statutory guidance for local authorities): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/718179/Early_education_and_childcare-statutory_guidance.pdf.

Play Therapy: Postgraduate Education

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the balance between (a) theoretical and (b) practice-based content in postgraduate courses in play therapy.

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the availability of postgraduate training in practice-based play therapy in each region of England.

Joseph Johnson: Universities are autonomous institutions and responsible for the content of their courses, including quality and standards. The Department for Education does not assess individual courses or make judgements about the content of courses. However, the Office for Students (OfS) is responsible for protecting the interests of all students and the quality of all regulated provision, working with the designated quality body, the Quality Assurance Agency. The OfS expects higher education providers to ensure they enable students to progress to employment, including by working with employers on the content of courses. This is particularly relevant where there are professional bodies with an interest in the abilities and standard of graduates and post-graduates. The OfS also manages the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework. The government has a role in ensuring a framework exists to understand and provide for skills needs at a national and local level.

Head Teachers: Pay

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the average salary of executive heads at academy schools in (a) London and (b) outside London.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: The attached table provides the number and average salary details of executive headteachers in academy schools in London, all other regions and England for the years 2016 to 2018. Figures for local authority maintained schools are included for context.The department would expect executive headteacher roles in academies to be more highly paid as they generally have a wider range of responsibilities compared to headteachers in local authority schools.



282184_table 
(PDF Document, 14.66 KB)

STEM Subjects: Higher Education

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to encourage more working class young people to take up STEM subjects at university.

Joseph Johnson: To maintain a dynamic and growing economy, the government is committed to tackling science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills shortages. The department is encouraging more students into STEM education and training, at all stages, from primary school to higher education (HE).To support more students to take STEM subjects at university, the government has increased investment in maths and digital subjects within schools, including a new post-16 maths premium and a new £84 million programme to improve the teaching of computing. Both of these initiatives aim to increase the number of young people taking these subjects, from all backgrounds.This school-level investment programme is complemented by increasing efforts from the university sector to encourage more disadvantaged students to enter HE. The Office for Students (as the regulator for HE in England) has a duty to promote equality of opportunity in relation to access and participation in HE. In 2018, 18 year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds were proportionally 52% more likely to enter full-time HE than in 2009.

STEM Subjects: Females

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many women have started courses in STEM subjects at university in each of the last five years.

Joseph Johnson: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on students enrolled in higher education in the UK. Statistics broken down by subject area and sex are available in Figure 14 of the Statistical Bulletin published in January 2019, which can be found at the following link:https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/17-01-2019/sb252-higher-education-student-statistics/subjects.Over the academic years 2013-14 to 2017-18, the number of female entrants to science subjects in UK higher education institutions (HEIs) has increased by 10% from 218,375 to 240,285. The number of male entrants to science subjects in UK HEIs has increased by 4% from 196,960 to 204,065.NotesCounts are on the basis of full-person-equivalents. Where a student is studying more than one subject, they are apportioned between the subjects that make up their course.Science subjects are defined by HESA as subject groups A to K under the JACS3 classification: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/support/documentation/jacs/jacs3-detailed.Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.

Special Educational Needs: Finance

Graham P Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to provide additional funding to local authorities who record an increase in the number of pupils with special educational needs.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: Our ambitions for children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are exactly the same as for every other child and young person. As part of this, we are pleased to announce that we will be providing an additional £700 million, 10% in high needs funding next year alone, which will help local authorities to ensure that they can continue to offer the right support for children and young people with the most complex SEND.

Adventure Learning Academy Trust and Bright Tribe Multi-academy Trust

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the timetable is for (a) Bright Tribe Trust and (b) Adventure Learning Academies Trust to file their accounts for the financial year to 31 August 2018; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: On 25 July 2019, Bright Tribe Trust and Adventure Learning Academies Trust filed their acocunts for the financial year to 31 August 2018.

Languages: Education

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the British Council's annual Language Trends Report 2019; and what steps he is taking to increase the opportunity for children of all social backgrounds to learn foreign languages and participate in international experiences.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the British Council's annual Language Trends Report 2019, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of children learning foreign languages.

Nick Gibb: The Department wants to see more pupils taking a language GCSE. Since September 2014, the reformed national curriculum makes it compulsory for pupils in maintained schools to be taught a modern or classical language in Key Stage 2. The Department introduced the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) performance measure in 2010, where entry into both modern and ancient language GCSEs counts towards the languages element of the EBacc.The Department has introduced a number of programmes to increase participation in modern foreign languages (MFL). The £4.8 million MFL Pedagogy Pilot commenced in December 2018 and is managed by a Centre for Excellence. The Pilot is run through nine school-led hubs, is aiming to improve uptake and attainment in languages at Key Stages 3 and 4, and to share best practice, especially in disadvantaged areas. The Department has also launched a pilot project in languages undergraduate mentoring for secondary school pupils to increase participation in the subject, specifically targeting areas of high disadvantage to extend access to languages for all pupils.

Teachers: Pay

Graham P Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to increase funding to schools in order to allow them to cover the one per cent shortfall in the planned 3.5 per cent increased pay award for teachers.

Nick Gibb: In July the Department announced that it was accepting the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) recommendation in full for a 2.75% uplift to the minima and maxima of all pay ranges and allowances.In recognition of the difference between this award and the 2% the Department has assessed schools can afford on average nationally, it is providing an additional £105 million of funding for schools this year. This is on top of the £321 million the Department is already providing this year through the Teachers’ Pay Grant to cover the ongoing cost of the 2018 pay award.

Apprentices and Further Education: Lancashire

Graham P Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he plans to take to ensure that 16 and 17 year olds in Lancashire classed as not known in respect of their education, training or employment status by Lancashire County Council's internal scrutiny committee are identified and helped into further education and apprenticeships.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: Under the 2008 Education and Skills Act, local authorities have a statutory duty to identify and track participation of 16 and 17-year-olds in education or employment with training, to support those who are not participating to do so, and to make sure there is sufficient, suitable education and training provision to meet their needs. Local authorities also have a duty to work with schools to identify those young people who need targeted support or who are at risk of not participating post-16. Alongside this, they must lead the September Guarantee process which guarantees all young people a suitable place in further education at the end of years 11 and 12.In line with these duties, where a young person is identified as ‘Not in Education, Employment and Training’ (NEET), the local authority has a responsibility to work with them. Similarly, where a young person’s destination is identified as ‘not known’, the local authority must continue to try to locate and contact the young person through various routes.Local authorities may choose to organise their tracking of young people in a variety of ways; however, all local authorities have a duty to submit monthly data to the Department for Education’s ‘National Client Caseload Information System’ (NCCIS). This data is then published by the department, throughout the year in various publications, for transparency purposes.The department publishes the NEET scorecard annually, which pulls together all of the NCCIS data published throughout the previous year and other relevant data. The scorecard ranks local authorities into 5 groups based on their performance on the percentage of 16 and 17-year-olds NEET and whose activity is not known. The department actively performance manages those local authorities in the bottom group. These actions can vary from engagement at official level, meetings and ministerial letters.As this year’s scorecard has yet to be published, it will not be possible to confirm at this time exactly what action will be taken with individual local authorities. However, as local authority groups will be based on the NCCIS NEET and participation data, published on 20 June 2019[1], which shows that Lancashire County Council’s NEET and not known percentage is 10%, of which 8% were not known, which is above the North West average of 3.2% and the England average of 2.9%, it is likely that performance management action will be taken in relation to Lancashire local authority.The department’s performance management approach has worked well in the past, with the majority of the local authorities contacted achieving improvements in their submitted data. Where improvements are not achieved, in a reasonable timeframe, the department follows up at official level with formal meetings to agree action plans and deadlines for improvement. [1] NEET and Participation Local Authority Figures: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/neet-and-participation-local-authority-figures.

Teachers: Training

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department have made of the quality of training for primary teachers in religious education; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: Providing the best possible initial teacher training (ITT) is the focus of the Department’s drive to improve teaching standards. In order to be awarded qualified teacher status (QTS), trainees must demonstrate that they have met the Teachers’ Standards, which includes a requirement that they demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge. Ofsted is responsible for testing the quality of teacher training and at their most recent inspection, 99% of all teacher training providers were rated good or outstanding. The amount of time that primary trainees spend in training on each of the subjects in the national curriculum is not specified by the Government. It is for ITT providers to use their professional judgement to determine the content and structure of courses, but they must be designed so that trainees can demonstrate that they meet all the required standards at the appropriate level by the end of their training. This includes religious education. In July 2016, the Department published a ‘framework of core content for initial teacher training’, further guidance which states that ‘trainees must be conversant with a range of effective subject-specific pedagogical approaches’. The framework also outlines providers’ responsibility to audit trainees’ subject knowledge early in their training and make provision to ensure that trainees have sufficient subject knowledge to satisfy the standard by the end of their training.

Religion: Education

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all schools provide pupils with opportunities to develop specific and age-appropriate knowledge and understanding of religions as part of promoting mutual respect and tolerance of people with different faiths and beliefs; and if he will make a statement.

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the EBacc on the opportunity pupils have to study religious education.

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that all state-funded schools are providing an adequate provision of religious education; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: All state funded schools are required by legislation or by their funding agreements to teach religious education (RE) to all registered pupils aged 5 to 18 years. Teaching RE is also part of schools’ activity to meet their legal duty to promote young people’s spiritual, moral and cultural development.Each area is required to have a locally agreed syllabus for RE that maintained schools without a religious designation must follow. This is monitored by each area’s Standing Advisory Council for RE (SACRE). As part of school inspections from September 2019, as set out in Ofsted’s published School Inspection Handbook, inspectors will take account of the religious education taught as part of assessing the quality of education provided by the school. It is not Ofsted’s role to inspect denominational religious education in faith schools as part of its inspections. This provision is inspected separately under section 48 of the Education Act 2005.The requirement for state funded schools to teach RE did not change with the introduction of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc).Many schools choose to teach RE in key stage 4 through offering Religious Studies GCSEs, which are not included in the EBacc. Information on entries to the RE GCSE can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/key-stage-4-and-multi-academy-trust-performance-2018-revised.

Teachers: Qualifications

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of (a) religious education lessons and (b) history lessons are taught by teachers with no post A-level qualification in those subjects; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: For religious education, 24.2% of hours taught in all state funded secondary schools and academies, were taught by a teacher without a relevant post A-level qualification, a decrease from 2010 when the figure was 27.2%. The proportion was considerably lower for history, where 9.1% of hours were taught by a teacher without a relevant post A-level qualification, a decrease from 2010 when the figure was 10.4%.Information on the proportion of hours taught in state funded secondary schools which are not taught by a teacher with a relevant post A-level qualification in the subject are shown in Table 13 of the publication School Workforce in England, November 2018, which is attached: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-workforce-in-england-november-2018.

Universities: Finance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he is taking steps to monitor Qatar's role in the funding of university programmes in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Joseph Johnson: The Office for Students, as the regulator for higher education (HE) in England, is responsible for assessing and monitoring the financial sustainability of registered HE providers. UK universities are autonomous institutions and are therefore responsible for making business planning decisions and ensuring their institutions’ financial sustainability.

Teachers: Training

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to improve training on LGBT matters for secondary school teachers.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to increase funding allocated to training for secondary school teachers on LGBT matters.

Nick Gibb: Decisions relating to teachers’ professional development rests with schools, headteachers, and teachers. The Department does not decide how much of a school’s budget should be used for teachers’ professional development. They are helped by the Standard for Teachers’ Professional Development, which was developed by an expert group of headteachers, teachers and academics. This supports teachers and headteachers to understand what makes professional development effective and how to make choices to prioritise high quality professional development.Initial Teacher Training providers should also equip trainee teachers to analyse the strengths and needs of all pupils effectively, ensuring that trainees have an understanding of cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and mental health factors that can inhibit pupils’ education.The Department has previously announced funding of up to £6 million in this financial year to support schools in delivering high quality teaching of relationships education in all primary schools, relationships and sex education in all secondary schools and health education in all schools. This funding will focus on developing a programme to help all schools improve their teaching practice, such as an implementation guide, easy access to high quality resources, and support for staff training. The Department will ensure that all of the materials supporting implementation of the new subjects are inclusive.

Post-18 Education and Funding Review

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to implement the recommendations of the Augar Review, and if he will make a statement.

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether it is his policy to reintroduce maintenance grants for students from low and middle income backgrounds in higher education.

Joseph Johnson: As part of our ongoing review of Post-18 Education and Funding, the government will be considering Philip Augar’s recommendations carefully. The government has not yet taken decisions with regards to the recommendations put forward.Students from the lowest-income families have access to the largest ever amounts of cash-in-hand support for their living costs. The government has announced a further 2.9% increase to maximum grants and loans for the 2020/21 academic year.

Department for Education: Ministerial Duties

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the ministerial responsibilities are of Ministers in his Department.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

School Day

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to prevent schools from shortening their school day or week unless it is a direct action to support and enhance their pupils’ education.

Nick Gibb: All schools have the autonomy to decide the structure and duration of their school day, which includes the flexibility to decide when their school day should start and finish. All maintained schools are required to educate pupils for at least 380 sessions each school year. They cannot reduce the length of the school week if this would take the total number of sessions below that. The Department’s guidance on school attendance was updated on 18 July to make clear that the structure of the school day and school week should not be the cause of inconvenience to parents and it is unacceptable for schools to shorten their school day or school week unless it is a direct action to support and enhance their pupils’ education.If schools are considering reducing their school week, where it is not directly to support and enhance their pupils’ education, then it is expected they approach either the Department or their local authority before taking such action.

Sex and Relationship Education

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he will take to support schools in teaching the new, LGBT-inclusive relationships and sex education curriculum.

Nick Gibb: The Department has previously announced up to £6 million in this financial year to develop a programme of support for schools – the funding will not be distributed to individual schools. Further funding beyond the next financial year is a matter of the forthcoming Spending Review.The programme of support will focus on tools that improve schools’ practice, such as an implementation guide, easy access to high quality resources, and support for staff training. The Department is currently working with schools and teachers to develop a programme of support that is suited to their needs.The Department will ensure that all of the materials supporting implementation of the new subjects are inclusive. The Department is also encouraging schools to start teaching the subjects from September 2019, so that it can improve and share good practice ahead of compulsory teaching from September 2020.The Department has published guides that set out clearly the nature and content of the subjects, as well as explaining parents’ rights and how they should be engaged in the development of the curriculum.The Department will support any school that has engaged with parents and listened to their views, and takes reasonable decisions on their relationships education curriculum, including the teaching of topics sensitive to parents.

Private Education: Taxation

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether it is Government policy to change the tax status of independent schools that do not make progress on supporting state schools.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: The government has no plans to change the tax status of independent schools.The government has agreed a joint understanding with the Independent Schools Council to encourage more independent schools to work in partnership with state-funded schools across 4 key areas: governance, teaching, curriculum and targeted school improvement. It also encourages independent schools to offer a greater number of full bursary places, targeted at children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Grammar Schools

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether it is his Department's policy to lift the ban on the establishment of new selective schools.

Nick Gibb: The establishment of new selective schools is prohibited by legislation.

Pre-school Education

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many additional nursery places have been created since June 2017.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: The childcare market is primarily a private sector market, so the number of childcare places will reflect how the market responds to parental demand and changes in the child population. As such, the number of places is monitored by Ofsted and not by the government. However, the government has invested in a number of capital programmes.As part of the School Nurseries Capital Fund, the department recently allocated nearly £24 million for 69 successful projects across every region of England. This will help to create new school-based nursery places in disadvantaged areas so more children can access high-quality early education.The department has supported the growth and creation of additional nursery places to deliver the 30 hours entitlement. In 2016, the department ran a £100 million early years capital bid round. Local authorities, in partnership with providers, were invited to submit bids. The department announced that over 350 projects across 123 local authorities were successful in this bid round.The free schools that have opened since 2017 have created over 650 full-time equivalent nursery places, with plans for over 100 full-time equivalent more places in the future. Since 1 June 2017, 3 new local authority maintained schools have opened with nursery provision.On 31 March 2019, there were 1.3 million childcare places offered by providers on the Ofsted Early Years Register.

Department for Education: Staff

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many civil servants there are in his Department; and how many civil servants are working primarily on preparation for the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: As of 31 July, there were 6463.50 full-time equivalent civil servants in the Department for Education.Members of staff across the department work on EU Exit issues across a range of policy areas as required. In addition to a central co-ordinating team, EU exit work is embedded and prioritised as necessary across the department’s policy responsibilities. It is therefore not possible to give an accurate figure specifically for work on no deal EU exit issues.

Church Commissioners

Anglicanism

Sir John Hayes: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church of England has plans to adopt the approach of the Global Anglican Future Conference as a model for the (a) growth and (b) development of the Anglican Communion.

Dame Caroline Spelman: The policies, structures and strategic development of the Anglican Communion are not matters for which the Church Commissioners has responsibility.

Global Anglican Future Conference: Rwanda

Sir John Hayes: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Archbishop of Canterbury plans to attend the 2020 Global Anglican Future Conference in Kigali, Rwanda.

Dame Caroline Spelman: At previous meetings of the Global Anglican Future Conference the Archbishop of Canterbury has been represented by a diocesan bishop of the Church of England. No decision has yet been taken by the Archbishop of Canterbury about whether he or a representative will attend the 2020 Conference in Kigali.

Gender Recognition

Sir John Hayes: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, if the Church of England will clarify its interpretation of biblical teaching on sex and gender in relation to transgender issues.

Dame Caroline Spelman: The Church of England is currently undertaking a consultative process called ‘Living in Love and Faith’, which is considering all matters of sexuality and gender.In 2018 the House of Bishops issued Pastoral Guidance for use in conjunction with the Affirmation of Baptismal Faith in the context of gender transition, which can be found here: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2018-12/Pastoral%20Guidance-Affirmation-Baptismal-Faith.pdf

Church of England: Staff

Sir John Hayes: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what proportion of Church of England employees are practising Christians.

Dame Caroline Spelman: It is not possible to give the proportion of employees either at a parish, diocesan or national institution-level who are practising Christians as information on this is not recorded or held centrally. Some posts within the National Church Institutions have a Genuine Occupational Requirement to either be a ‘Practising or Communicant member of the Church of England or a member of a Church in communion with the Church of England’.

Church of England: Theology

Sir John Hayes: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to help ensure that its theology is founded on the 39 articles.

Dame Caroline Spelman: The founding theology of the Church of England is drawn from a combination of documents, beliefs and practices known as the ‘Historic Formularies’ and Canon Law. The Historic Formularies consist of scripture, the Book of Common Prayer, the 39 Articles of Religion and the Ordinal.Priests of the Church of England are required to affirm their acceptance of the Historic Formularies at their ordination during the Declaration of Assent. The text of this can be found under Canon C15: https://www.churchofengland.org/more/policy-and-thinking/canons-church-england/section-c

Anglicanism

Sir John Hayes: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Archbishop of Canterbury will pledge his commitment to the Jerusalem Statement of 2008.

Dame Caroline Spelman: Archbishop Rowan Willams responded to the publication of the Jerusalem Statement by the Global Anglican Futures Conference in 2008, the full text of which can be found here:https://www.anglicannews.org/news/2008/06/archbishop-of-canterbury-responds-to-gafcon-statement.aspxThe Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby is committed to pointing towards the good news of Jesus and the renewal of the Church. The Archbishop is looking forward to the Lambeth Conference taking place in 2020 with the theme “God’s Church for God’s world.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Subsidies

Dr Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the statement entitled Health and harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a green Brexit, published in September 2018, what steps his Department is taking to limit the costs for small land owners of the future environmental land management scheme.

George Eustice: The Agriculture Bill constitutes the first major agricultural reform in the UK for almost 50 years. It will allow us to break from the rules of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy and presents a unique opportunity to devise a new Environmental Land Management system where the Government will work with farmers, land managers, environmental experts and stakeholders to test and trial new approaches and investigate innovative mechanisms for delivery of environmental outcomes. Small farmers and land owners will be well placed to benefit from any future scheme.

Eggs: Import Duties

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the evidential base is for the Government's proposal to apply zero rate tariffs for eggs and egg products.

George Eustice: In setting that temporary regime the Government has sought to strike a balance between the impacts on consumers and producers. The Government considered the available evidence on tariff rates, exposure to competition, and the potential impact on business costs and employment, weighing this against the impact of tariffs on consumer prices and producers’ supply chains. Recognising that there are significant uncertainties, the Government believes it has adopted a policy that strikes the right balance between not exposing the UK market to an unreasonable level of competition, and liberalising tariffs to maintain current supply chains and to avoid an increase in consumer prices. The temporary tariff policy would only apply for up to 12 months. During the 12 month period, the Government will work with industry and remain responsive to businesses and consumers. We will consider exceptional changes where clear evidence is provided against the criteria set out by the five principles of the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018. After this, the Government intends to introduce a long-term tariff regime. This would be developed over the course of the next 12 months following an appropriate public consultation process with interested stakeholders, including the eggs sector.

Hill Farming: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she plans to take to ensure that the UK's uplands landscape has a continued level of support through direct payments after the Environmental Land Management Scheme is phased out.

George Eustice: The new Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme will be available from late 2024, part way through the transition period over which the Basic Payment Scheme is to be phased out. ELM will enable farmers, foresters and other land managers to secure income in exchange for providing environmental benefits: public funds for public goods. Among the public goods for which payments will be available is the maintenance and enhancement of our landscape heritage.

Hill Farming: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she plans to take to ensure that uplands areas continue to receive support through changes to CAP and farm support.

George Eustice: Our ambitious new Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme will be the cornerstone of our agricultural policy in England after we leave the EU. Due to the environmental quality of upland areas, upland farmers will be well placed to benefit from the new ELM system which will reward land managers for the public goods they provide and deliver an income stream. We have pledged to continue to commit the same cash total in funds for farm support until the end of this Parliament, expected in 2022. This includes all funding provided for farm support under both Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 of the current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). We are working across Government to develop future funding arrangements. We will phase out Direct Payments in England during an agricultural transition period, giving time for farmers to adjust. We plan to start reducing payments in 2021. We aim to phase out Direct Payments completely by the end of the transition period, with the last payments being made for the 2027 scheme year. We expect that simplified versions of Countryside Stewardship will continue to be open to new applicants, including an uplands offer and capital grants. We are also currently considering whether or not to continue to extend certain Higher Level Stewardship Scheme agreements that offer strong continued environmental benefits expiring in 2019. Upland areas will continue to deliver outcomes and new agreements can be set up as we test and refine the new ELM arrangements.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she plans to take to ensure that farmers will not receive a loss of financial support when the funds from the Basic Payments Scheme are used for new replacement schemes.

George Eustice: The Government has pledged to continue to commit the same cash total in funds for farm support until the end of this Parliament, expected in 2022. This includes all funding provided for farm support under both Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 of the current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Phasing out Direct Payments over seven years from 2021 is a key part of the transition away from the CAP in England and towards our future domestic agriculture policy. This will free up funding for new domestic policies that will focus on using public money to deliver public goods. We will set Direct Payment reduction percentages taking account of our detailed plans for future schemes and wider decisions about Government spending. The cornerstone of the new approach is the development of a new Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme. As we make the transition to the new arrangements, we will be piloting the scheme before its full introduction. Alongside the ELM pilots in the early years of the transition we will continue to offer a simplified version of Countryside Stewardship. We have also set out the intention to develop other offers for the industry including on productivity and animal welfare.

Attorney General

Crown Prosecution Service: Pay

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Attorney General, on how many occasions Crown Prosecution Service staff deputised for a role at a higher grade than their own but were not paid at the corresponding rate in each of the last four quarters.

Michael Ellis: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not keep records on how many occasions CPS staff deputised for a role at a higher grade than their own but were not paid at the corresponding rate. This data cannot be gathered without incurring disproportionate cost.

Crown Prosecution Service: Legal Profession

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Attorney General, how many lawyers have been recruited to the Crown Prosecution Service in each of the last four quarters.

Michael Ellis: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has recruited 197 lawyers over the last four quarters (July 2018 to June 2019). A breakdown is provided in the following table: QTRTotal number of lawyers - All legal gradesJuly – September 201841October – December 201852January – March 201954April – June 201950Grand Total197 Data Source: Trent HR Database

Crown Prosecution Service: Disclosure of Information

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Attorney General, what recent assessment he has made of changes to workload in relation to disclosure for Crown Prosecution Service staff.

Michael Ellis: The Attorney General’s Review published in November 2018 made a series of recommendations to improve disclosure practice. Since then, the Crown Prosecution Service, under Phase Two of the National Disclosure Improvement Plan, has undertaken a number of activities to increase the rigour and application of the disclosure test in volume crime. The explosion in both the capability and use of digital technology has brought new and significant challenges to criminal investigations and prosecutions. In recognition of the challenge posed by the proliferation of digital data, the CPS has delivered disclosure training to over 98% of prosecutors, and will commence a review, with the Home Office, under the National Disclosure Improvement Plan to identify scalable technological solutions in this space.

Crown Prosecution Service: Staff

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Attorney General, what assessment he has made of the effect on the outcome of legal cases of the removal of case progression officers from Crown Prosecution Service magistrates departments.

Michael Ellis: With the introduction of the Transforming Summary Justice (TSJ) initiative in May 2015, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) moved to full case ownership with individual lawyers being responsible for each contested case in the magistrates’ court until its conclusion. Case progression managers were removed from magistrates’ courts units, as their responsibilities and functions were now dealt with by the allocated lawyer under the supervision of their legal manager. Since the introduction of TSJ case outcomes and CPS performance in the magistrates’ court has been maintained or improved. The table below shows magistrates’ courts performance between financial year 2014/15 to 2018/19.  2014-152015-162016-172017-182018-19Average Number of hearings per case - Guilty Pleas1.871.801.691.671.66Average Number of hearings per case - Contests3.242.972.922.862.75Dropped at third or subs34.1%30.5%29.6%28.4%25.7%Conviction Rate84.2%83.8%84.7%84.8%84.4%Guilty Plea Rate (excl mixed pleas)75.4%74.8%76.3%76.3%76.9% Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System (14 CPS Areas)

Crown Prosecution Service: ICT

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Attorney General, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Oracle Cloud system at the Crown Prosecution Service.

Michael Ellis: The CPS migrated to an Oracle Cloud system for Finance and Procurement functions on 1 April 2019.The system is configured to ensure that it is fully compliant with Government Finance ‘Global Design Principles’ which are based on best practice and it also provides improved data security.The Oracle Cloud system went live, as originally planned, on 1 April 2019 and was fully operational from that date. CPS completed their 2018-19 financial year-end on the new system and the resulting financial statements were successfully audited by the NAO.The Government Internal Audit Department have been asked to conduct a review of the controls of the new Oracle Cloud system and the NAO have been asked to complete their annual technical audit of the new system at the earliest opportunity. This will provide the CPS with independent third party assurance of the effectiveness of the new system.

Crown Prosecution Service: Leave

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Attorney General, how many and what proportion of paid special leave requests by Crown Prosecution Service staff were granted in each (a) area and (b) directorate in each of the last four quarters.

Michael Ellis: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) granted 1,632 special leave requests in the last four quarters. These are broken down by quarter, Area, and Directorate in the below table:NUMBER OF APPROVED PAID SPECIAL LEAVE REQUESTS FROM 01/07/2018 - 30/06/2019 BY AREA/DIRECTORATE 01/07/2018 - 30/09/201801/10/2018 - 31/12/201801/01/2019 - 31/03/201901/04/2019 - 30/06/2019CENTRAL CASEWORK BUS CENTRE2011CPS DIRECT13413516CPS PROCEEDS OF CRIME37127CYMRU WALES117144EAST MIDLANDS18151826EAST OF ENGLAND20212013HQ DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY SERVICES4085HQ FINANCE5236HQ HR DIRECTORATE0433HQ OPERATIONS77111HQ PRIVATE OFFICE2111INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE & ORGANISED CRIME1010414LONDON NORTH12772LONDON SOUTH30443526MERSEY CHESHIRE20263321NORTH EAST18262118NORTH WEST49626541SPECIAL CRIME AND COUNTER TERRORISM101674SOUTH EAST23151522SOUTH WEST7767SPECIALIST FRAUD81086THAMES AND CHILTERN19332018WESSEX1710128WEST MIDLANDS167810YORKSHIRE AND HUMBERSIDE59647387TOTAL:383442440367 Data Source: Trent HR database The CPS does not keep records of Special Leave requests from staff that are declined. As gathering the information would incur disproportionate cost, data to show the proportion of approved requests is not available.

Crown Prosecution Service: Personnel Management

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Attorney General, what assessment he has made of the consistency of the application of human resources policies and guidance at the Crown Prosecution Service .

Michael Ellis: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has effective mechanisms in place to ensure that Human Resource policies and guidance are applied consistently. These include: direct support and guidance from the Human Resources (HR) function that deploys professionally qualified HR staff across the business to aid line management’s understanding, and application of, policy and guidance;a positive and constructive employee relations framework that enables prompt escalation of issues or concerns over policy application;training and development programmes for all line managers that equips them with the skills for competent people management; andstructured and regular development and network sessions for operational HR teams where policies and issues are considered to ensure consistent application across CPS.

Crown Prosecution Service: Closures

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Attorney General, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Crown Prosecution Service policies on office closures as a result of extreme weather conditions.

Michael Ellis: The CPS has comprehensive business continuity plans in place. These include contingency measures in the event of extreme weather conditions. A decision to close an office due to a business continuity event would usually be made by local senior management. At the same time the CPS has introduced an extensive Smarter Working Programme which gives staff greater flexibility over where they work. Supported by upgrades to our IT infrastructure, the majority of CPS staff are able to work from home, other CPS offices and buildings on the wider public sector estate. Smarter Working and our investment in technology has helped to increase resilience during periods of extreme weather as staff are able to work from alternative locations if they are unable to travel to their designated office or their designated office has been temporarily closed.

Crown Prosecution Service: Industrial Relations

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Attorney General, what assessment he has made of industrial relations at the Crown Prosecution Service.

Michael Ellis: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has constructive and productive industrial relations. The CPS is committed to a positive employee relations environment which is underpinned by: A jointly agreed Employee Relations Framework;Structured and effective national and local Whitley Council meetings;Joint annual Employee Relations Conferences attended by union representatives and relevant management representatives;A joint approach to progressive business change programmes such as Smarter Working;Regular and structured access to senior CPS executives. This approach has built strong relationships that have enabled good and mutual outcomes to emerging challenges or disagreement, and has led to delivery of significant business and employment changes.

Crown Prosecution Service: Staff

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Attorney General, how many and what proportion of Crown Prosecution Service staff have worked in shared accommodation in each of the last four quarters; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Ellis: The table below shows the numbers of staff that have worked in shared accommodation in each of the last 3 quarters. Data for Q2 2018-19 is not available as headcount was not previously reported by location. Buildings occupied by the CPS and at least one other public sector body have been classified as shared.   2018-192018-192019-20 Q3Q4Q1Number of staff based in shared buildings 2,6192,646  2,651% of total CPS staff 44%44% 44%

Crown Prosecution Service: Recycling

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Attorney General, what assessment he has made of levels of recycling across the Crown Prosecution Service.

Michael Ellis: The Crown Prosecution Service reports recycling rates and targets to Defra each quarter in line with the Greening Government Commitment targets. At the end of the financial year 2018-19, CPS had reached a recycling rate of 90% and only 2% of waste was sent to landfill (the balance being waste sent to incineration for energy recovery).

Crown Prosecution Service: Bullying and Harassment

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Attorney General, what assessment he has made of levels of bullying and harassment of Crown Prosecution Service staff.

Michael Ellis: Bullying and harassment and any form of discrimination is taken extremely seriously by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The CPS has undertaken an in-depth review of bullying and harassment, culminating in the design and implementation of the CPS Respect – Tackling Discrimination, Bullying, and Harassment Programme. This comprehensive Programme includes the publication of the CPS Respect policy, a campaign of bespoke face to face and digital learning for all CPS employees, managers and leaders and the introduction of Respect (Bullying and Harassment) Allies.

Wales Office

Sheep Meat: Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will estimate the gross value in pounds sterling of Welsh lamb exports to the EU in 2017 based on trade with the EU under WTO Most Favoured Nation terms.

Alun Cairns: The UK Government’s preferred position is to leave the EU with a deal that works for all parts of the UK, at which point the WTO MFN terms would not apply. It should be noted that data for lamb exports is not published at a regional level.

Ministry of Justice

Debt Collection: Complaints

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Written Statement of 22 July 2019, Enforcement Update, HCWS 1776, what barriers in the current complaints system may deter people from making a complaint.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Written Statement of 22 July 2019 on Enforcement Update, HCWS 1776, whether he has plans to increase the regulation of enforcement agents before work performed by civilian enforcement officers is put out to tender.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Written Statement of 22 July 2019 on Enforcement Update, HCWS 1776, whether he plans to consult staff trades unions before strengthening the regulation of enforcement agents.

Edward Argar: As set out in the Justice Secretary’s Written Statement on bailiff reform, we will respond to the Call for Evidence and the Justice Select Committee’s report following further engagement with our stakeholders over the Summer. We will explore what barriers prevent people from making a complaint based on submissions to the Call for Evidence and meetings with our stakeholders. Our response will also consider the case for further regulation. County Court Bailiffs, who are employees of Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS), and Approved Enforcement Agencies who enforce criminal orders, were not within scope of the review of enforcement agents. We will liaise with trade unions if any proposals that may arise from our consideration of the responses from the Call for Evidence directly impact on Court staff. HMCTS are in the process of procuring a new set of contracts for Approved Enforcement Agencies (AEA) to enable the collection of criminal orders. The tender went live on 1 July 2019. We anticipate awarding contracts in December 2019, with services to commence in May 2020.

Prisons: Safety and Staff

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on (a) the safety of prisoners and (b) the levels of staffing in prisons in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Lucy Frazer: In common with all Government Departments, the Ministry of Justice has considered the impact of a No Deal Brexit on its institutions, including prisons. Preparations are underway to ensure we are ready to leave the European Union on 31 October, with or without a deal. This includes working closely with the Department of Health to make sure that the supply of health products to prisoners is not disrupted; ensuring that our food and retail contracts have alternative arrangements in case of disruption through ports; and co-operating with other government departments to prepare for contingencies such as potential traffic disruption in the South East. At a local level, all prisons have reviewed their contingency plans and are engaged with their Local Resilience Forums to put in place actions to mitigate against any potential impacts as necessary. Separately, over the past 3 years, we have invested £100m to provide additional Prison Officers to improve frontline safety, security and rehabilitation. The benefits of this are already being felt with 4675 on landings and a commitment to recruit more in line with business needs.

Ministry of Justice: Overtime

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of overtime for staff responding to IT problems in January 2019; and whether his Department has changed IT suppliers as a result of those problems.

Edward Argar: The MoJ has considered the cost to the public purse for overtime for staff responding to the IT problems in January 2019, but we are discussing these costs with the IT providers and are unable to release the information until those discussions have concluded.   The IT supplier for MOJ (including HMCTS) has not been changed.

Treatment of, and Outcomes for, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Individuals in the Criminal Justice System Independent Review

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Tackling Racial Disparity in the Criminal Justice System: October 2018 Update, how many FTE employees work within the dedicated team in his Department coordinating work on ethnic and racial disparity in the criminal justice system.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Tackling Racial Disparity in the Criminal Justice System: October 2018 Update report, what the total spend has been on the dedicated team in his Department coordinating work on ethnic and racial disparity in the criminal justice system.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Tackling Racial Disparity in the Criminal Justice System: October 2018 Update, how many full-time equivalent employees worked within the dedicated team in the Department co-ordinating work on ethnic and racial disparity in the criminal justice system when it was first set up.

Wendy Morton: Currently, there are five employees equating to 4.0 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) working within the Ministry of Justice team dedicated to coordinating work on ethnic and racial disparity in the criminal justice system (MoJ’s CJS Race Disparity Team). When first established in September 2017 the team had 1.5 FTE staff. This increased to 3.5 FTE by January 2018, coinciding with the establishment of the Race and Ethnicity Board (which oversees the implementation of the Lammy Review recommendations and work on tackling race disparity). The team does not have any dedicated budget (beyond for staffing costs), since work is resourced separately by the various business areas of Ministry of Justice and partner organisations responsible for actions to address racial disparities. Staff costs have been met within existing MOJ budgets. Beyond this team, it is the responsibility of all policy and operational areas to consider equalities in their work. There are other teams beyond the team asked about which have a focus on tackling racial disparity, including a dedicated youth justice disproportionality team and HM Prison and Probation Service’s equalities team.

Powers of Attorney: Registration

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of Lasting Powers of Attorneys which were registered with the Office of Public Guardian in each year since 2010.

Wendy Morton: The below figures show the number of Powers of Attorney the Office of the Public Guardian has registered in each year since 2010. The figures are split into Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPA) (which could not be made after October 2007 but can still be registered) and Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA). As of the end of March 2019 there are 3,847,008 POAs on the register of registered documents consisting of 159,356 EPAs and 3,687,652 LPAs.  LPAs registeredEPAs registeredTotal POAs registered2010-2011151,62918,752170,3812011-2012181,30216,405197,7072012-2013229,85216,783246,6352013-2014257,25715,056272,3132014-2015390,95214,012404,9642015-2016471,35013,060484,4102016-2017632,69611,786644,4822017-2018698,46110,058708,5192018-2019739,6509,432749,092

Prison Officers

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 17 May 2019 to Question 252665 on Prison Officers, what assessment he has made of the effect on levels of prison violence of the loss of over 80,000 years of prison officers' cumulative length of service.

Lucy Frazer: The causes of violence in prison are complex, but we know that the skills and availability of staff play a critical role in maintaining order. We have recruited over 4,700 more prison officers since October 2016, and we now have the greatest number in post since early 2012. We have established a new Standards Coaching Team of experienced officers from across the estate who have been trained in coaching skills. They are advising these new staff on standards and consistency, and working with them to build their confidence. Recruiting so many new officers inevitably means there are more staff and more leavers. We are working hard to retain staff, with the biggest pay increase in a decade and additional training so they stay and progress their careers. The key worker scheme is already showing promising signs of effectiveness and has started in all 92 closed adult male prisons, with over 30,000 prisoners having an assigned key worker who has dedicated time each week to work with them. The Challenge, Support and Intervention Plan case management process for prisoners at risk of violence is fully in place in all prisons. We are improving perimeter security and using other equipment such as body scanners to address the supply of drugs. We are giving officers tools like PAVA pepper spray and body-worn cameras to make their jobs safer. We have announced an extra £100 million for security, on top of the £70 million we were already spending to make prisons more secure and decent. We are confident that these initiatives, together with the many other measures that we are taking to protect our staff, will reduce the level of violence in prisons.

Prisons: Private Sector

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Written Statement of 22 July 2019 on Prisons and Probation, HCWS1783, what assessment he has made of how partnering with the private sector to operate prisons offers value for money.

Lucy Frazer: A balanced estate, with a mix of public, voluntary and private sector involvement has been shown to introduce improvements and deliver value for money for the taxpayer. The private sector has an important role to play in our system; it has led the way in driving innovation in areas such as in-cell technology and family support services. Some privately run prisons are among the best performing across the estate. For example, HM Inspectorate of Prisons said in July 2018 that Oakwood is an “impressive prison” and found it to be reasonably good or better on all four healthy prison tests (safety, respect, purposeful activity, and rehabilitation and release planning). General living conditions, staff-prisoner relationships and prisoner consultation were reported to be very good or excellent. To manage the performance indicators set out in the contracts, each privately managed prison has a full-time on-site Controller, Deputy Controller and Assistant Controller, all employed by HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). The Controller has regular review meetings with the contractor against a range of performance indicators that will reflect numbers of staff in post, recruitment, training, sickness, and attrition. Where action is needed, progress is monitored by the Controller and escalated within HMPPS where appropriate action can be taken in accordance with the contract. This may include a requirement for urgent improvement and/or financial deductions. The Prison Operator Framework will increase the diversity and resilience of the custodial services market in England and Wales, by creating a pool of prison operators who can provide high quality, value for money, custodial services and enable us to effectively and efficiently manage a pipeline of competition over the next six years. The MoJ sets out very clearly the standards that all private prison operators are required to deliver. Bids will be subject to value for money and affordability tests. Contracts will not be awarded if bids do not meet quality or value for money thresholds based on a public sector benchmark, and in this scenario, HMPPS would act as the provider. Although privately managed prisons do face many of the same challenges encountered in public sector prisons, by providing good quality custodial and rehabilitation services, private operators are helping us to reduce reoffending and deliver long term savings to the taxpayer.

Prisons: Staff

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect of (a) prison violence and (b) exposure to new psychoactive substances on the (i) physical and (ii) mental health of prison staff.

Lucy Frazer: The physical, emotional and social wellbeing of our staff is paramount. All HMPPS staff have access to an occupational health service, and employee assistance programme. This includes 24-hour, 365 days a year access to signposting and counselling, and trauma support services.Violence against our hard-working staff will never be tolerated. The Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act came into force in November and doubled sentences for those who attack emergency workers, including prison officers. Post-incident care teams, occupational health support, counselling and clinical treatment are available for those who experience trauma while doing their jobs. We are investing £100 million investment to boost security and combat crime in prisons. Tough airport-style security, including x-ray scanners and metal detectors, will be put into prisons across the estate to clamp down on the drugs, weapons and mobile phones that fuel violence – increasing the risk to our officers and hindering rehabilitation. Psychoactive substances have presented a particular challenge and in September 2016, we became the first prison service in the world to introduce innovative mandatory drug tests for these substances, a significant step in tackling the supply and use of them.Following reports from staff of the effects of secondary inhalation Her Majesty's Prison & Probation Service commenced work with unions, independent scientists and clinicians to assess the impact of reported secondary exposure to psychoactive substances. A programme of voluntary post-exposure biological testing of staff is now being expanded and will enable an assessment of the biological effects on staff to be made.

Prison Officers: Older Workers

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the physical ability of prison officers to work in front-line roles above the age of 60.

Lucy Frazer: To become a prison officer you must attend an Area Recruitment Centre (ARC) and pass all elements consisting of literacy and numeracy tests, situational judgment tests and physical and medical tests. These determine a candidate’s suitability for the role and do not take into account a candidate’s age or gender, which prevents any unlawful discrimination. There are four elements of the fitness test including grip, agility, bleep test and holding a shield. All of these elements need to be passed for the candidate to pass the fitness part of the assessment. All prison officers who joined the service after April 2001 must pass an annual fitness test in order to remain a prison officer. Staff who do not meet the annual fitness test standard will be provided with advice and support by a fitness assessor on achieving and maintaining the required fitness level. There are many factors which determine a person’s ability to pass a fitness test which could not be determined by their age alone.

Prisons: Radicalism

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the system for collating statistics on extremist behaviours in prisons.

Lucy Frazer: Extremist behaviours in prison are identified and monitored through a robust case management process reviewing Terrorism Act (TACT) and TACT-related prisoners throughout their sentence. Information and statistics relating to extremist behaviours are routinely collected at local, regional and national levels. Related statistics for persons in custody and released from custody are routinely provide as part of Home Office Official Counter Terrorism statistics, published quarterly as statistical bulletins [see link below]. These statistics present details regarding the number of persons in custody for terrorism-related offences in Great Britain, including details of ethnicity, nationality, ideology and religion. The latest statistics can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/counter-terrorism-statistics

Eastwood Park Prison

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the accuracy of reports that conditions for prisoners at Eastwood Park have declined; and for how many hours each day prisoners in that prison are confined to their cells.

Lucy Frazer: HM Inspectorate of Prisons’ recent report on HMP/YOI Eastwood Park was published on 28 August 2019. We take all recommendations made by the Chief Inspector seriously and the prison is taking action to address the Chief Inspector’s findings.A detailed action plan has been produced to address all the recommendations in the report. The action plan has been published on the prison finder website at: https://www.justice.gov.uk/contacts/prison-finder/eastwood-park The regime at HMP/YOI Eastwood Park is structured so that prisoners who are engaging with the prison regime are ‘out of cell’ for 9.5 hours a day Monday to Friday and 7.75 hours at weekends. Prisoners located on an enhanced wing have access to the prison grounds for 12.45 hours during the week and 11.75 hours during the weekend.

Dangerous Driving: Sentencing

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the oral contribution of the Leader of the House of Commons of 25 July 2019, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to increase the maximum penalty for causing death by dangerous driving.

Edward Argar: We are focused on getting the law right, to ensure the changes we make are comprehensive, proportionate and, crucially, practical. We will bring forward proposals for changes in the law to increase the maximum penalties for causing death by dangerous driving and careless driving under the influence of drink or drugs to life imprisonment, and create a new offence of causing serious injury by careless driving as soon as possible. These proposals will take account of other government proposals for safer roads.

Dangerous Driving: Sentencing

Ms Lisa Forbes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2019 to Question 277861, whether his Department has begun drafting legislative proposals to increase the maximum penalties for causing death by dangerous driving and careless driving under the influence of drink or drugs to life imprisonment and create a new offence of causing serious injury by careless driving; and whether he plans to publish those proposals by October 2019.

Edward Argar: We will bring forward proposals for changes in the law as soon as possible.

Ministry of Justice: ICT

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department has collected on satisfaction with IT systems that are used by staff in the criminal justice system; and what research his Department has undertaken on staff user experience of the Common Platform Programme.

Edward Argar: The Ministry of Justice does not regularly collect information on staff satisfaction with the IT systems that are currently used within the criminal justice system. The Common Platform programme is following a clearly defined process for gathering user requirements through phases of discovery, design, development, testing and ongoing iteration. Research into user experience is involved at each step of this process. In the last six months, research has been carried out at a number of courts across England, in addition to court observations, staff interviews, user experience testing and workshops with a wide variety of users across the criminal justice system, including the judiciary, Crown Prosecution Service, defence practitioners and probation services

Debt Collection: Regulation

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to publish his response to the submissions received in his Department's Call for Evidence on the regulation of enforcement agents, which closed in February 2019.

Edward Argar: As set out in the Secretary of State for Justice’s Written Statement on bailiff reform made on 22 July, we will respond to the Call for Evidence following further engagement with stakeholders over the summer.

Probate

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average waiting time was between the application for and the granting of probate in each of the last 24 months for which HM Courts and Tribunals Service keeps records.

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average waiting time was between the application for and the granting of probate in each of the last 10 years for which HM Courts and Tribunals Service keeps records.

Edward Argar: Official statistics are not published on the average length of time from receipt of the application to the issue of a grant of probate and letters of administration. HMCTS internal management information, which is not subject to the rigorous quality assurance processes of official statistics, has been used to show the following average times from receipt of an application to a grant being issued per month over the last 24 months and each of the last 10 years:Month and year Average Weeks to grant issued July 20173August 20173September 20173October 20173November 20173December 20173January 20183February 20183March 20183April 20183May 20183June 20183July 20183August 20183September 20183October 20183November 20183December 20183January 20192February 20192March 20193April 20192May 20196June 20199Year Average Weeks to grant issued 2008320093201032011420123201342014420154201632017320183 These figures do not include cases which are waiting for a grant to be issued. The data from April 2019 to June 2019 have been extracted from the HMCTS Reform Core Case Data system, which is a new system in active development, and may not be directly comparable with figures for earlier periods. All figures, especially those for April 2019 to June 2019, are provisional and subject to revision. Some grants are experiencing delays of between four and six weeks outside of our targets as a result of significant increases in work during March and April and some technology issues which have now been resolved. We have recruited more staff and are now issuing in excess of 1,000 grants a day, which is bringing waiting times down further.

Prison Service: Sick Leave

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2019 to Question 277660 on Prisons: Staff, whether absence due to (a) stress, (b) post-traumatic stress disorder, (c) depression, (d) exposure to new psychoactive substances, and (e) other mental-health problems are considered work-related illnesses.

Lucy Frazer: Absences due to stress, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression and other mental health problems can all be caused by work-related issues, such as trauma. All of these absences can also be as a result of personal matters and causes that have no connection with work. HMPPS offers staff 24/7 access to an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) helpline which can be used for issues related to either work or home. The helpline is strictly confidential, and reports are not shared with employees’ manager or Department. Employees can also refer themselves for confidential counselling for work-related reasons or any other reasons. CBT and EMDR therapies are offered to staff who have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder caused by work-related trauma. We are introducing Trauma Risk Management (TRiM), currently used effectively by the police, ambulance and fire services, to identify and signpost those staff to ensure they get the support they require. This approach has been trialled in the 10 prisons project with much success and this is planned to roll out to prisons, over the next two years. Absences caused by exposure to new psychoactive substances (NPS) can be as a result of exposure at work or elsewhere. Any staff who are exposed to toxic substances while at work are directed to emergency medical treatment as appropriate. Should this result in absence from work they are referred to Occupational Health by their line manager and any necessary work adjustments will be made. Staff can also self-refer to EAP for counselling. We are investing an extra £70 million in making prisons more secure and decent, and are giving officers tools like PAVA pepper spray and body-worn cameras to make their jobs safer. This includes £16 million to improve conditions for prisoners and staff and £7 million on new security measures such as body scanners to bring down levels of drugs and violence.

Cabinet Office

Electoral Register: Visually Impaired and Learning Disability

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department has taken to increase registration rates and voter turnout of (a) visually impaired voters and (b) voters with learning difficulties.

Kevin Foster: In September 2017 the Government launched a Call for Evidence to find out how people with disabilities experience registering to vote and voting itself. The government responded to this in August 2018 and is working with organisations such as the RNIB and the Royal Mencap Society in overseeing delivery of the actions contained in the Government’s response and more widely.These actions include reviewing the online registration system, utilising opportunities to promote awareness for groups representing disabled people, such as in National Democracy Week, providing information in Easy Read format and making use of sight registers held by local authorities in England to support more and better information being made available.Improvements in place and intended for the voting process also support participation and include improved training of polling station staff to provide better support to voters with sight loss and those who have a learning disability and consideration of options for equipment for people with disabilities to use when voting.

Elections: Proof of Identity

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the voter ID pilot, what assessment he has made of the effect of the (a) poll card, (b) mixed ID, and (c) photographic ID model on people with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.

Kevin Foster: In line with the 2018 pilot evaluation, the 2019 pilots have been evaluated by both the Electoral Commission and the Cabinet Office. The evaluations show that the overwhelming majority of people cast their vote without a problem. As in 2018, the data collected does not indicate that any demographic group was consistently adversely impacted by the models across the pilot authorities.

Government Departments: Billing

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure Government (a) suppliers and (b) subcontractors are paid on time.

Oliver Dowden: We are committed to paying 90% of undisputed and valid invoices from SMEs within 5 days and 100% of all undisputed and valid invoices within 30 days. Government departments must report their payment performance on a quarterly basis on GOV.UK.Through the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, public sector buyers must include 30-day payment terms in public sector contracts; and require that this payment term be passed down the supply chain. Where this is not happening, businesses are encouraged to raise this with the Public Procurement Review Service in the Cabinet Office, who will investigate.From September, any supplier who bids for a Government contract above £5m per annum will be expected to pay 95% of invoices in 60 days across all their business. Any supplier who is unable to demonstrate a fair and responsible approach to the payment of their supply chain may be excluded from bidding.

Devolution: Scotland

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on further devolution of power to devolved authorities.

Oliver Dowden: All sections of the Scotland Act 2016 that increase the powers of the Scottish Parliament are now in force. The Scottish Parliament will now be able to legislate in every area where the Scotland Act 2016 has given it the power to do so. The Joint Ministerial Working Group on Welfare continues to meet as a forum for discussion and decision-making to ensure the implementation of welfare and employment-related aspects of the Scotland Act 2016. The most recent meeting was held on 27th June 2019.The devolution of tax and borrowing powers to Scotland has increased the accountability of the Scottish Government.The Government has been clear that it expects that EU exit will lead to an increase in decision-making powers for the devolved administrations. The Government remains focussed on implementing the existing devolution settlements and undertaking detailed monitoring and evaluation in order to be able to assess the impact of devolution as we consider further decentralisation.

Former Ministers: Redundancy Pay

Graham P Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish in table format (a) a list of the ministerial redundancy payments issued since August 2010 and (b) which former ministers accepted those payments.

Oliver Dowden: This information is not held centrally. Section 4 of the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991 sets out Ministers’ entitlement to severance payments. Payments to individuals are processed by the relevant departments. Any such payments are published in each department’s audited annual accounts, and these accounts can be found on GOV.UK.

Health

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department measures optimism in society.

Kevin Foster: The Cabinet Office does not routinely measure optimism in society. Occasionally questions on optimism may be included in other research studies undertaken by the Cabinet Office for contextual purposes.

Health

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of whether there is a variation in wellbeing (a) within and (b) between regions and nations of the UK.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent guidance he has provided to the office for National Statistics on developing indicators to monitor the well-being and happiness of (a) adults and (b) children.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the trends in level of childhood happiness and well-being in the last 30 years.

Kevin Foster: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA response
(PDF Document, 107.67 KB)

10 Downing Street: Furniture

Catherine West: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether funds were (a) authorised and (b) released for the purchase of any furniture for the Rt hon. Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (i) before and (ii) after he took office as Prime Minister on 24 July 2019.

Jo Stevens: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost was of purchasing and importing furniture to Downing Street in July 2019.

Oliver Dowden: No funds have been allocated or spent.

Government Departments: Redundancy Pay

Ian Murray: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the redundancy packages required for the creation of the new Government.

Oliver Dowden: This information is not held centrally.Section 4 of the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991 sets out Ministers’ entitlement to severance payments. Payments to individuals are processed by the relevant departments. Any such payments are published in each department’s audited annual accounts, and these accounts can be found on GOV.UK.When their appointing Minister leaves office, special advisers are entitled to a severance payment, to be paid in accordance with the terms set out in the Model Contract for Special Advisers, which can be found on GOV.UK. The cost of special advisers is published and laid before Parliament on an annual basis and is available on GOV.UK.

Public Sector: Innovation

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the latest round of the GovTech Catalyst competition on delivering public services.

Oliver Dowden: The third round of GovTech challenges seek to address issues such as predicting and sequencing adult social care to deliver a seamless service and accelerating the building of new housing, using better geospatial intelligenceThe latest round of the GovTech Catalyst challenges are at an early stage of development. Independent economic analysis will be undertaken as part of measurement and evaluation at a later stage.

Public Sector: Artificial Intelligence

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment the Government has made of the ability of artificial intelligence and new technologies to save money and improve services in the public sector.

Oliver Dowden: In June this year, the Government Technology Innovation Strategy was published which sets out how government will use emerging technologies to build better public services. In order to develop this, Ministers and officials conducted significant research across government and the wider public sector to understand the opportunities and challenges of wider deployment of emerging technologies in our public service delivery.Alongside it, the Government Digital Service and Office for Artificial Intelligence published ‘A guide to using artificial intelligence in the public sector’ which provides guidance on how to build and use AI in the public sector. This was produced as part of the Al Review which identified opportunities for using Al in the public sector to drive productivity and efficiency.The Review focused on central departments and identified opportunities for using AI in the public sector to drive productivity and efficiency. The Review also identified key barriers and enablers to AI adoption, and a number of key areas where the application of AI acrossgovernment could improve services and make them more efficient.

Private Sector: Cybercrime

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to improve the cyber security of private sector organisations.

Oliver Dowden: Our world leading National Cyber Security Strategy, supported by £1.9 billion of transformational investment, sets out the steps we are taking to defend our people; deter our adversaries; and develop the skills and capabilities we need.Our experts in the National Cyber Security Centre continually provide simple advice and guidance to help private sector organisations be more resilient to cyber attacks.

Electoral Register: Students

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of (a) the University of Sheffield's initiative on voter registration for students and (b) mandating universities to promote students to register to vote.

Kevin Foster: The Government is encouraged by the University of Sheffield’s experience but has no plans to mandate a single approach across the country.The Government is, however, committed to ensuring the electoral registration system is responsive to the needs of students. Ministerial Guidance was issued to the Office for Students (OfS) in February 2018 acting on a commitment made in Parliament during thepassage of the Higher Education and Research Act (2017), directing that they require Higher Education providers to comply with Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) requests for data and they be encouraged to work with Local Authorities to promote electoral registration amongst their student populations. The merits of working closely with EROs have been demonstrated by a number of Higher Education providers across the country.Yet, the Government does not believe that one size fits all and instead favours an approach which allows innovation.The Ministerial Guidance has since been used by the OfS to produce their own guidance to Higher Education providers, which advises them how they might best implement, and abide by, the requirements placed on them. The OfS guidance came into force in August. The Government is committed to ensuring everyone who is eligible to register to vote is able to do so and, in 2014, introduced online registration for the first time. Statistics show young people aged between 14 and 24 are more likely than average to use this as a means of registering to vote.The Government believes these measures will drive up the number of applications to register from students – improving both the completeness and accuracy of the electoral register – as well as further improve the relationships between Higher Education provider and Local Authorities.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of potential merits of introducing block voter registrations in (a) care homes and (b) university halls of residence.

Kevin Foster: Block registration undermines the principles underpinning Individual Electoral Registration that individuals take ownership of their registration status, deciding when and where they want to be registered. The Government, therefore, has no plans to implement any measures, including introducing block registration that would remove this choiceThe Government has taken a number of steps to improve student registration. The Higher Education and Research Act 2017 ensures that student electoral registration is a core condition of the new higher education framework and subsequent regulatory guidance for higher education providers reinforces their obligations to promote registration and provides case studies of good practice.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including information on voter registration in national insurance number notification letters.

Kevin Foster: The Government has worked closely with HMRC to identify opportunities to promote voter registration, for example in tax information products, and we are continuing to discuss how this might work in other communications, including National Insurance Number notificationlettersIn addition, we publish a message reminding people to register to vote on our high traffic GOV.UK pages, such as HMRC and DVLA, in the run-up to electoral registration deadlines.We welcome new opportunities to signpost voter registration, including to young people, and are continuing to explore physical and online spaces to place prompts with partners across government and the electoral community.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a pilot scheme allowing election-day voter registration in polling stations.

Kevin Foster: The Government has no plans to introduce election day registration. To work effectively and securely, it would require all polling stations in a constituency to be electronically linked and the register updated in real time to prevent anyone registering and voting in onepolling station and moving quickly to another to do the same. This would present considerable technical challenges and carry significant cost.Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) are legally responsible for determining who is eligible to vote in polls in their local areas. Coming to a determination can take time and cannot be done instantaneously.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of replacing ERO electoral registers with a single national electoral register.

Kevin Foster: The Government has no plans to introduce a new nation-wide database for the purposes of electoral registration. The introduction of such a database would raise a number of significant technical and practical issues, as well as security and privacy concerns.The Cabinet Office is currently considering ways to modernise and streamline the existing registration system to ensure it is responsive to the needs of electoral administrators and citizens alike. This includes making the system of electoral registration even more convenient, accessible and user-friendly, as well as more efficient by developing more cost effective approaches to maintaining the completeness and accuracy of their registers.

House of Commons Commission

House of Commons: Sign Language

Graham P Jones: To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, what discussions the Commission has had on establishing in-house BSL interpretation service for deaf visitors.

Tom Brake: The House of Commons provides a range of British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation services for visitors to the Palace of Westminster and currently holds the Action on Hearing Loss ‘Louder than Words’ charter mark, which is re-accredited every three years.Visitors on a commercial, ticketed tour can choose a BSL self-guided option which has been tested and approved by a range of deaf groups.Visitors on a democratic access tour can also choose a BSL self-guided option, although in most cases a BSL signer would be booked and made available. The bicameral Visitor Services team has booked 35 BSL interpreters for visitors attending tours or watching parliamentary business, such as select committees, since the start of 2018. BSL interpretation can also be provided for visiting schools, although in most cases the schools themselves will bring their own interpreter.The House is investigating the provision of a basic level of BSL training across the Visitor Services team. Training staff to a sufficiently high level of expertise to lead or interpret tours or other visiting activities has to date proved difficult due to the level and duration of training required combined with the frequency of staff turnover. The Restoration and Renewal of the Palace of Westminster is expected to provide an opportunity for wider improvements in relation to accessibility and inclusion, including interpretation.